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Chris Mutsvangwa

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Norton Member of Parliament Mr Christopher Mutsvangwa was yesterday expelled from Parliament after Zanu-PF notified Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda of its decision to fire him from the revolutionary party.

Acting Speaker of the National Assembly Cde William Mutomba told the National Assembly that the Speaker had received a letter from Zanu-PF informing him that Mr Mutsvangwa had ceased to belong to that political party.

Cde Mutomba said following a letter from Zanu-PF, Section 129 of the Constitution would apply in determining Mr Mutsvangwa’s parliamentary seat.

Mr Mutsvangwa was not in the Chamber when the announcement was made.

Section 129 (k) of the Constitution states as follows : “The seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the member has ceased to belong to the political party of which he or she was a member when elected to Parliament and the political party concerned by written notice to the Speaker or the President of the Senate, as the case may be, has declared that the Member has ceased to belong to it.”

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

The expulsion of Mr Mutsvangwa from Parliament would pave way for a by-election in Norton constituency.

This came after the Politburo upheld recommendations by Zanu-PF disciplinary appeals and review committee of the Central Committee chaired by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko to fire the outspoken politician for being unrepentant after he was suspended from the party for three years.

In a letter to Ambassador Mutsvangwa, a fortnight ago, Zanu-PF secretary for Administration Dr Ignatius Chombo said the party had resolved to expel the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association chairperson because he had remained unrepentant.

Zanu-PF is expected to retain the seat after the main opposition political party, the MDC-T decided to boycott all by-elections claiming that the electoral playing field was not even.