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Herald Reporter
Bikita West Member of Parliament Munyaradzi Kereke was yesterday expelled from Parliament after he was sentenced to an effective 10-year jail term last week following his conviction of raping his 11-year-old niece six years ago.

National Assembly Deputy Speaker Cde Marble Chinomona made the announcement in the Chamber yesterday.

Cde Chinomona said the ejection of Kereke from the National Assembly was in terms of Section 129 of the Constitution.

Section 129 (i) of the Constitution reads: “The seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the Member is convicted (i) in Zimbabwe of an offence of which breach of trust, dishonest or physical violence is an essential element, (ii) or outside Zimbabwe of conduct which, if committed in Zimbabwe, would be an offence of which breach of trust, dishonest or physical violence is an essential element and sentenced to imprisonment for six months or more without the option of a fine or without the option of any other custodial punishment, unless on appeal, the Member’s conviction is set aside or the sentence of imprisonment is reduced to less than six months or a punishment other than imprisonment is substituted.”

“Accordingly, necessary administrative measures will be taken to inform His Excellence President Robert Mugabe and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of the existence of the vacancy in terms of the Electoral Act,” said Cde Chinomona.

The expulsion of Kereke means that there would be a by-election in Bikita West constituency, and comes hardly a day after Norton Member of Parliament, Mr Christopher Mutsvangwa, was ejected from the august House after he was recalled by his party Zanu-PF.

Zanu-PF is expected to win both by-elections as the main opposition political party, MDC-T was boycotting polls claiming that the electoral field was not even.

Meanwhile, MDC-T legislators Mr Gift Chimanikire (Southerton) and Eric Murai (Highfield East) face contempt of Parliament charges after they defied an order to leave the House for disorderly conduct.

Mr Chimanikire and Mr Murai were ejected from the Chamber by Cde Chinomona after they continued displaying the Zimbabwean flag after Cde Chinomona ruled that it was not consistent with Parliament’s Standing Orders.

Earlier on, Chitungwiza North MP Mr Godfrey Sithole (MDC-T) was reprimanded for emblazoning the national flag while seated in the Chamber.

Upon being directed to take off the national flag, Mr Murai and Mr Chimanikire paraded it in the Chamber and even displayed it in defiance of Cde Chinomona’s directive.

Cde Chinomona warned the two that they risked being charged, including being fired from Parliament if they defied her as the presiding officer.