By Nyashadzashe Ndoro
Douglas Mwonzora, the reinstated secretary general of the opposition MDC-T, has with immediate recalled six more Harare councillors who belong to the MDC Alliance party, including mayor Herbert Gomba on the basis of a controversial March Supreme Court ruling.
Recalled councilors include Hammy Madzingira (Ward 10), Kudzai Kadzombe (Ward 41), Gaudencia Marere (Ward 32), Costa Mande (Ward 24) and Happymore Gotora of Ward 7.
They were recalled by a letter dated August 14, 2020 addressed to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, July Moyo.
“We hereby notify your office in terms of section 278 as read with section 129 of the Constitution, we hereby declare that the councilors have ceased to be belong to the Movement for Democratic Change which is a member of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance which was formed in terms of the constitutive agreement…parties entered into a pre-election agreement known as the Composite Political Agreement for purposes of contesting the 2018 elections.
“In terms of clause 2.0 of the agreement the member parties retained individual identities. They also chose their own candidates under their respective quarters. Our party was the party to which these councilors belonged at the time of the 2018 elections,” part of the letter read.
In the controversial judgment passed by the Supreme Court in March, Nelson Chamisa was ruled as an illegitimate MDC-T president and Thokozani Khupe was ruled as the rightful president and Mwonzora the secretary general.
Khupe is serving as an interim president after the court ruled that the party should revert to its 2014 structures.
MDC Alliance councillors in June wrote a letter to minister July Moyo urging him to stop Mwonzora and his allies from recalling them from their positions.
The councillors argued that a leader of a political party they contested against in the July 2018 elections could not legally recall them.
Mwonzora has recalled some MDC Alliance legislators including Chalton Hwende who have since approached the courts, seeking to reverse the recalls.
The courts however, gave relief to the MDC Alliance after granting an interim order that the MDC-T could not replace the recalled MPs and the case is still pending in courts. Nehanda Radio
