HARARE - Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara's MDC faction has disintegrated into three factions over sharp differences over the expulsion of three legislators. Former St Mary's MP, Job Sikhala, says he has staged a coup and is the new leader of the embattled faction. (Pictured: Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara)“I have taken over. Mutambara only remains president of the MDC-M in the Herald and on ZBC,” said Sikhala.
A third faction is headed by one of the expelled legislators, Abdenigo Bhebhe, comprising the other two expelled MPs and other legislators. This faction is frantically working to stop the expulsion of the three from Parliament.
The remaining group loyal to Mutambara comprises secretary-general Welshman Ncube, spokesman Edwin Mushoriwa and a few others, who denied the split.
Mutambara’s controversial move to expel the three will slash the embattled faction’s number of legislators in Parliament from 10 to seven. He gave the Speaker of House Assembly, Lovemore Moyo, up to Tuesday, August 18, to announce the expulsion of three legislators, threatening that they would report him to the police for contravening the Prevention of Corruption Act if he did not do so.
But Moyo said he would not be pressured into making any premature announcements.
A letter to Moyo on August 13, written by “MDC acting secretary-general” Edwin Dzambara, seeks to reverse the expulsion of MPs Abednico Bhebhe (Nkayi South); Njabuliso Mguni (Lupane East) and Norman Mpofu (Bulilima East), dismissed for conduct unbecoming and prejudicial to the interest and reputation of the party for allegedly publicly denouncing the partys leadership.
“It has come to our attention that Welshman Ncube has written letters to you purporting to fire the honourable MPs,” Dzamara said in his letter. “We advise that the letters are useless, meaningless and do not represent the views and position of our party any legitimate communication will come only from myself as the acting-secretary-general,” it says.
The split comes in the wake of concern among top officials at MDC-Ms policy of appeasement with Mugabe and Zanu (PF).
“We have taken this opportunity to announce our seizure and total control of the peoples party until our next extra-ordinary congress next year in April to shape our struggle against Mugabes dictatorship,” Sikhala told journalists on Friday, in the company of eight officials he claimed were provincial representatives of his new leadership.
What eventually broke the camel’s back was the National Council meeting held last Thursday, in which party members sympathetic to the expelled legislators were barred from the meeting by alleged CIO operatives, said to be rubbing their hands with glee as the party disintegrates.
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