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The suspended MDC members are Patrick Mawusha, Oswell Teke, Morgan Changamire, Enock Tsikai and Maxwell Zimuko.
They were suspended for allegedly rebelling against the party. 
MDC-T is allegedly shielding the members from dismissal and has vowed to ensure that the suspended members remain within Copac structures.

In a telephone interview from Harare yesterday MDC deputy spokesperson Mr Kurauone Chiwayi said the Tsvangirai-led faction was dragging its feet in signing the letters of expulsion, which marked the members’ dismissal from Copac.

“The suspended members got into Copac on our ticket and MDC-T is not responsible for their actions and we are surprised that they are refusing to let us suspend them while they themselves were allowed to replace some of their members.

“When a member is suspended the three Copac Co-chairpersons should sign the expulsion letter, however Mr Douglas Mwonzora has been nowhere to be seen while his deputy has declined to ratify the suspensions,” said Mr Chiwayi.

He said as a party they were worried about the actions of MDC-T.

“We are very much worried about the issue and we have since referred it to the Copac Management Committee for further deliberations.

“They should stop meddling in our party issues and leave us alone. We are finding it queer that they are coming to the defence of our members,” said Mr Chiwayi.

He said his party was committed to the completion of the constitution.

“We will not allow Mwonzora and his people to hold the people of Zimbabwe to ransom, as a party we remain committed to the completion of the new constitution,” said Mr Chiwayi.
Contacted for comment MDC-T Copac co-chairperson Mr Mwonzora said Copac had already signed two-week contracts with the suspended members and had paid part of their allowances for the on-going data collation process, hence it was difficult for Copac to release them.

“As a trained lawyer I could not sign for the dismissal of the MDC-M members because they had standing contracts with Copac and they were bound to sue us.
At the same time they would have gone away with our money, that we have paid them in allowances,” said Mr Mwonzora.

He said on 5 January the Copac Select Committee held a meeting and it was resolved that no rapporteur shall be expelled at the verification stage of the constitution making.

“It was resolved that no party can expel a rapporteur because new rapporteurs will lack background information about the constitution hence there was a need to retain the existent ones,” said Mr Mwonzora.