Khupe Ready To Replace Chamisa's MPs
The opposition MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe said it was proceeding to nominate replacements for 15 seats in the National Assembly and Senate that were declared vacant by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
In a gazetted notice recently, ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba said ZEC had been formally notified by Parliament of the 15 vacancies.
Speaking during an interview with The Herald on Sunday, MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora said nothing with stop the party from nominating replacements for the 15 MPs and Senators. He said:
We are replacing those elected under Proportionate Representative and we await guidance on those MPs that had constituencies.
There is nothing that stops us from replacing them because we have appealed against a High Court judgment which interdicted us from replacing two Senators and noting of an appeal has the effect of suspending that judgment.
Over 20 MDC Alliance parliamentarians were expelled from Parliament by the MDC-T using a controversial March Supreme Court ruling which nullified Nelson Chamisa’s elevation to the party presidency following the death of Morgan Tsvangirai in 2018.
The senators who were expelled include Siphiwe Ncube, Gideon Shoko, Helen Zivira, Keresencia Chabuka, Tapfumaneyi Wunganayi, Herbert Sinampande, Meliwe Phuti and Lilian Timveous.
In the National Assembly, the MDC-T expelled Thabitha Khumalo, Virginia Zengeya, Anna Myambo, Bacillia Majaya, Machirarwa Mugidho, Francisca Ncube and Nomathemba Ndlovu.
