THE MDC-T Bulawayo provincial youth leadership yesterday endorsed the suspension of Senator Matson Hlalo by the party’s national executive as the fallout over the party’s provincial congress continues. BATANAI MUTASA OWN CORRESPONDENT
Hlalo was suspended pending disciplinary action for alleged use of vulgar language, violent behaviour and disrupting party meetings.
The suspension came a day after the High Court ruled in Hlalo’s favour in a case where he was challenging the election of Bulawayo deputy mayor Gift Banda as provincial chairperson. In a statement, the youth chapter explained the endorsement saying Hlalo had displayed disregard for internal party structures, choosing to use outside channels to solve internal disputes.
“Given also that the elections that ushered in the current executive, comprising the youth, women and main wing, were relatively peaceful of which he participated fully with his team okaying the whole process only to make noise after the trouncing by Gift Banda, Hlalo is a failed politician,” the statement reads.
Hlalo sued MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai, party chairman Lovemore Moyo and Banda, demanding a rerun of the provincial elections, citing irregularities that he said were deliberately skewed to tilt votes against him.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, provincial chairman Mlandu Ncube said Hlalo’s actions were inappropriate considering that the same courts from which he was seeking resolve had dismissed the party’s plea against the outcome of harmonised elections last year.
“With the turmoil in Zanu PF, now is the time for MDC- T to take power and for someone to drag our president aside to attend to such issues cannot be supported,” he said.
Bulawayo youth league deputy spokesperson Alfred Dzirutwe expressed the same concerns, saying Hlalo wanted to distract the party. “We are firing him as the youth and we do not want to give him any chances,” he charged.
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“We don’t want to even see him coming to our offices.”
The youth leaders declared that after all legal processes, Banda would assume office as provincial chairperson and continue working on his mandate.
MDC- T deputy organising secretary, Abednico Bhebhe confirmed knowledge of the Bulawayo youth league’s statement. However, he explained that Hlalo’s suspension was not directly as a result of the court case, but for a previous pending case of violent behaviour.
Hlalo could not be reached on his mobile phone for comment.
