No joy for Tsvangirai

Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s bid to regain the 18 Parliamentary and Senate seats that the party lost when former secretary-general Tendai Biti left the party to form the Renewal Team hit another snag yesterday when Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda ruled that he could not accede to the party’s request to recall the seats as stated in the new constitution because the case was subjudice.  The party wrote Mudenda recalling the seats after its recent party congress, but Mudenda said his hands were tied as the case was before the High Court “under case number HC5303/14 in the matter of Tamsanqa Mahlangu and 129 others versus Tendai Biti and others and case number 4956/14”. Mudenda said the decision made at the MDC congress to recall the seats did not constitute a judicial decision. In its application to the Speaker, the MDC had argued that the law does not give Parliament or the Speaker any discretion once a party has given notice to withdraw its members of Parliament. The 18 legislators comprise 15 Members of Parliament and three Senators. The legislators are: Tendai Biti, Willias Madzimure, Lucia Matibenga, Evelyn Masaiti, Paul Madzore, Reggie Moyo, Solomon Madzore, Bekithemba Nyathi, Moses Manyengavana, Albert Mhlanga, Sipepa Nkomo, Roselyn Nkomo, Settlement Chikwinya, Gorden Moyo and Judith Muzhavazhe. The Senators are Sekai Holland, Rorana Muchihwa Dandajena and Watchy Sibanda.

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