Paul Nyathi |MDC Alliance deputy president Welshman Ncube says that the recent recall of party lawmakers is a ZANU PF execution using vulnerable former MDC members.

Speaking in separate interviews with the Voice Of America’s Studio Seven and Zimlive on Wednesday, Ncube said that the party will not take the move lying down.

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda announced MDC Alliance MPs Charlton Hwende, Thabitha Khumalo, Prosper Mutseyami and Senator Lilian Timveous were recalled through a letter by Douglas Mwonzora, who says he has reprised his role as secretary general of the party following a court ruling in late March.

The Supreme Court ruled that Nelson Chamisa had taken leadership of the MDC-T party in February 2018, before forming the MDC Alliance, in a “fundamentally flawed process.”

The court ordered that Thokozani Khupe, who participated in elections in July 2018 as leader of the MDC-T, should take over on an interim basis pending a congress within three months to elect a new leader.

“Everything is a choreographed from the courts to the Speaker of Parliament. We had no expectation of anything better. We said what the plan was before the court delivered its judgement. We said they will continue to play this game. They have their game plan, watch the space and see if we will play their game.”

“We won’t take it lying down. In the next few days, you will know what we will do and it will be a strong response. The organs of the party will make the decisions. People have seen what has happened.”

He said “What’s happening is not a legal matter but a political issue, and it must be understood as such. People must disabuse themselves of the notion that this is legal, otherwise we wouldn’t be here.

“The law is clear, and has always been clear that you are recalled by the party under which you were elected. The candidates were fielded by MDC-Alliance which was in competition with MDC-T. So no, this has nothing to do with the law.

“Which judgement gave anyone authority to recall MDC Alliance MPs? Which party is controlled by a single individual? Parties are controlled institutionally. Where in the world have three people (Khupe, Mwonzora, Komichi) controlled a party?

“So, it’s not a legal issue. Since the judgement, has the national council or the standing committee met? Thabitha Khumalo was deputy spokesperson under the structure that the other side wants to say is the court recognised leadership. I can tell you that Khumalo has not been invited to any meeting where a decision to recall our MPs was taken.”

“What you have is a political programme of Zanu PF to basically take control of the MDC Alliance. Khupe, Mwonzora and Komichi have carefully selected our senior people in parliament. They have basically thrown the dice to say the rest of you who are junior to these people, we can get rid of you too if you don’t associate with our plans,” said Ncube.