THE MDC-T has reportedly approached Bulawayo councillors that quit the party last year to join MDC-Renewal to woo them back or face recalls if they did not rejoin the party. STAFF REPORTERS
MDC-Renewal has claimed that the four councillors that crossed the floor were being blackmailed and told they faced recalls, just like the 21 legislators who were expelled from Parliament last week.
Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda expelled former MDC-T legislators for jumping ship to form the MDC-Renewal after the MDC-T sought their recall and declared their seats vacant.
MDC-Renewal spokesperson Edwin Ndlovu claimed the party’s councillors had since the recall of the MP’s been blackmailed by former MDC-T colleagues, threatening to have them recalled if they did not rejoin the party.
“The MDC-T emissaries have approached the councillors and threatened to recall them if they refuse to rejoin the party,” he claimed in an interview.
“They are being ambushed and blackmailed, however, they failed because the councillors have indicated that they will never go back to the MDC-T.
“They are behaving like Zanu PF that threatens colleagues for having different opinions or on suspicions that they are not loyal enough and plot to unseat the president.”
MDC-T Bulawayo spokesperson Mandla Sibanda could not be reached for comment.
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However, MDC T party officials denied the charge and instead claimed that the MDC-Renewal members have been knocking on their doors wanting to be readmitted into their former party.
They claimed that councillors were left shaken after the expulsion of the 21 MDC-Renewal MPs and feared that same fate would befall them.
Meanwhile, the MDC-T’s Masvingo province has written to the party’s Harvest House headquarters to implore the national leadership to recall councillors who joined MDC-Renewal.
MDC-T Masvingo district secretary Robert Murambatsvina confirmed writing to the party leadership seeking approval to recall two councillors in Masvingo believed to have crossed the floor.
Although he refused to divulge the names of the councillors, sources said those on the firing line are Godfrey Kurauone (Ward 4) and Daniel Mberikunashe (Ward 5).
The two have, however, insisted they are loyal to the MDC-T.
