Three Kwekwe MDC-Alliance councillors defect to Khupe faction

Kwekwe (New Ziana) –At least three councillors from the Nelson Chamisa led MDC Alliance in Kwekwe have defected to the MDC-T party led by Thokozani Khupe.

Both the MDC Alliance and MDC-T confirmed the development, which is happening in other towns and cities where some legislators and councilors are being recalled by the Khupe faction.

MDC-T secretary for women’s assembly in Mbizo district, Rita Munyorovi-Svova confirmed that three councilors from Ward 2, 11 and 12 in Kwekwe crossed the floor from MDC Alliance.

“They all belong to MDC-T. In fact they must not make the mistake of following an individual (Nelson Chamisa) but should follow the party (MDC-T),” she said.

“People should read and understand the constitution of the MDC-T,” she added.

MDC-A Midlands secretary for information Dr Takavafira Zhou said as a democratic party, they were not moved by the defection of councilors and legislators to the MDC-T and were ready to field candidates in the event of by-elections.

“In politics there is freedom of association and disassociation. We don’t have any problem about them, in fact we wish them good luck. But we foresee them coming back. As MDC-A led by Nelson Chamisa, we will soldier on,” he said.

The MDC-T has so far recalled at least 21 legislators from both the National Assembly and Senate as well as several councilors.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) suspended all electoral activities in March when the country recorded its first case of Covid-19 as a precautionary measure to protect its employees and the general public from infection.

ZEC has since said by-elections for vacant constituencies and wards would be held after the government has relaxed lockdown restrictions.

Meanwhile, ZEC recently said it was proceeding to fill the proportional representative seats in Parliament which arose from recalls by the opposition MDC-T, since the process does not require holding of by-elections.

The MDC-T wrote to Parliament recalling the legislators arguing that they no longer represented its interests.

New Ziana