Three Epworth councillors have reportedly defected to Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T as the fight to keep their seats in the local government.
Local publication Zim Morning Post reports three councillors who campaigned and won under the MDC Alliance ticket have chosen to become MDC-T councillors to protect themselves from the ever threatening Khupe.
The publication claims Musa Mabika a leader in the MDC Alliance Epworth Branch said the three councillors Batanai Masunda, Gift July and Joshua Chinonyengerwa have chosen to side with the losing Presidential Candidate Thokozani Khupe of the MDC-T.
“Masunda, July and Joshua abandoned the party and as Epworth district we are pushing to have them recalled then we field our own loyal councillors who understand the people’s project and are willing to stand with our party leader,” Mabika said.
The councillors competed and won against MDC-T candidates in the 2018 harmonised elections.
In other news, MDC-T has controversially recalled MDC Alliance senators Gideon Shoko, Helen Zviviri, Sphiwe Ncube, Tapfumanei Muzoda, Meliwe Phuti, Phylis Ndlovu, Herbert Sinampande and Kerencia Chabuka. The recalling of senators follows the recall of a total of 12 MDC Alliance legislators by MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora.
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The development comes after a Supreme Couurt ruling handed in March this year ordered the MDC-T to revert to its 2014 structures. The ruling has been interpreted by the MDC-T as power to recall MDC Alliance MPs that do not want to side them. The MDC-T is seen as a Zanu PF government backed party that is a creation of the ruling party to destabilise Zimbabwe’s largest opposition party. The MDC-T reportedly sought and received the assistance of the police and the military to take over the Harvest House, the Headquarters of the MDC Alliance. The move was widely condemned by the international community with the United States and the Netherlands castigating the government’s disrespect of property rights.
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