The leadership wrangle between MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora and his deputy Thokozani Khupe has escalated amid plans to recall her from Parliament after she declared an official split last week.

Khupe was suspended by Mwonzora last Thursday, before she in turn announced that the latter had fired himself from the party after claiming leadership of the MDC Alliance.

Mwonzora also declared that he would contest the March 26 by-elections under the name MDC Alliance, a move viewed as a ploy to confuse former MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s supporters.

Chamisa has since changed the name of the party to Citizens Coalition for Change.

Mwonzora’s spokesperson Lloyd Damba yesterday confirmed the plans to recall Khupe from Parliament where she is a proportional representation MP.

“There is nothing in the MDC-T called an official proclamation of a split.

“That alone as she is accusing Mwonzora of having flouted the constitution, she herself has done the same by announcing an official proclamation of a split when there is no such clause in the MDC-T constitution.

“Khupe is in Parliament because of the MDC Alliance brand. We are going to recall her, and she is going to court. We are going to smoke the enemy out,” Damba said.

Khupe’s spokesperson Ntando Ndlovu said his boss was unfazed by Mwonzora’s threat to recall her from Parliament.

He said Mwonzora no longer had jurisdiction to recall Khupe.

“Douglas Mwonzora dismissed himself from MDC-T after writing to Zec on the 3rd of January informing it that he has formed a new party called MDC Alliance,” Ndlovu said.

“It, therefore, follows that Mwonzora doesn’t have any legal authority to recall anyone from Parliament.

“We implore Parliament and State institutions to exercise impartiality in discharging their duties by making sure that one faction cannot recall legislators who belong to another faction,” he said.

-Newsday