Sibanda Loses Ministerial Post

But the MDC-M had no more appointed seats, after using up their allocated non-constituency seats. Two senatorial seats were given to Welshman Ncube and Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga the partys Secretary General and Deputy – in order for them to be eligible for ministerial positions.
A parliamentary seat was given to President Arthur Mutambara, who is now Deputy Prime Minister. They had all lost in the general elections of last year.
MDC-M Deputy President Sibanda had also failed to retain his parliamentary seat in Bulawayos Nkulumane suburb, after losing to MDC-T Thamsanqa Mahlangu in the general elections.
It was understood the Principals to the unity government had agreed to create an extra Senate seat just to accommodate the MDC-M Deputy President. But according to the rules of the land, this required amending the Constitution before the 19th May deadline when the three month window period expired. This did not happen.
Constitutional lawyer Derek Matyszak said failure to meet this deadline meant that Sibanda was not lawfully occupying a position as a minister. He said there was a growing and worrying trend by the political leadership to amend the provisions of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) in order to accommodate individuals, without following the law.
An article in the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper on Friday said that Gibson Sibanda had now lost his ministerial post.
The article went on to say that Sibanda did still have a chance to get back into cabinet if one of his party’s MPs agreed to take up a diplomatic post in the near future and allowed him to contest for the vacant seat.

Sources within the MDC said the party was still weighing various options for Sibanda.