Sikhala has not denounced my leadership, so I didn’t recall him-Mwonzora
By Aleck Murimigwa
MDC-T president Douglas Mwonzora said he has not recalled Job Sikhala from Parliament because he did not see the affidavit from him denouncing his leadership.
Sikhala is a deputy chairperson of MDC Alliance which is led by Nelson Chamisa.
He has also publicly denounced Mwonzora and his MDC-T party for recalling legislators and councillors from Parliament and councils respectively.
The outspoken politician (Sikhala) has on many incidences including on social media addressed Mwonzora as a Zanu PF puppet and a sell-out.
Mwonzora accused those he recalled from Parliament and urban councils of joining the MDC Alliance and supporting Chamisa.
He took advantage of the March 2020 Supreme Court ruling which ruled that Chamisa was not a legitimate successor to the late party founder and president Morgan Tsvangirai.
The MDC T held its extra-ordinary congress as per the court ruling in which Mwonzora emerged as the new party president amid allegations of rigging.
He has since gone on an overdrive, recalling Chamisa’s loyalists from both Parliament and councils.
Addressing a press briefing at his party offices in Harare ahead of March by-elections, Mwonzora said Sikhala did not denounce him and his party.
Mwonzora said “we looked at a number of things, but the key was the affidavit that the MPs had signed denouncing their membership of the MDC-T. I have not seen Sikhala’s affidavit renouncing his membership of the MDC-T. I have not seen the affidavits from other MPs that are in Parliament,’’ Mwonzora said.
He added “Some people have been calling persuading me to recall people like Daniel Molokele, Sikhala among other MPs from parliament. We cannot play factional politics within other political parties. We respect the existence of other political parties. It is their right to exist.
“We recall a person from Parliament on the basis that they have renounced their membership of the MDC-T party, and we act in terms of the party’s constitution clause 5.10 (a) which says, if you join another political party, and if you renounce your membership of the MDC-T party, the termination is automatic.”
Mwonzora, who many views as an underdog in the upcoming by-elections vowed his candidates will draw a shock on March 26 and has insisted on using the MDC Alliance name to contest the polls.
Sikhala has not denounced my leadership, so I didn’t recall him-Mwonzora
