FORMER Finance Minister Tendai Biti, now secretary general of a breakaway faction of the MDC-T, has declared that his group is more determined than ever to remove “this system of oppression and repression”.
His sentiments come in the wake of Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda’s ruling Tuesday, expelling Biti and 20 other legislators from parliament.
They were ousted after the MDC-T led by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai wrote to the Speaker announcing that the group had “crossed the floor” and should therefore lose their seats in accordance with the law.
However, Biti waved a defiant fist, vowing to fight the expulsion.
“It is a political decision because there has not been a change in circumstances since the Speaker ruled that he could not interfere in the MDC-T’s leadership dispute. The matter has not been resolved,” said Biti.
“This will just strengthen our resolve because Zanu PF has teamed up with its acolyte in the form of Morgan Tsvangirai”.
He said his resolve to fight “the dictatorship” will be greater than it has ever been.
“This decision will be challenged, of course, but all in all it provides us with renewed vigour as well as strength to fight for the democratization of our country,” he said.
“To remove the system called Zanu PF and its latest sidekick in the form of Morgan Tsvangirai who has shown Zimbabweans.
“We will fight tooth and nail to remove this system of repression and oppression that has poisoned our country and left citizens living in squalor in the land of their forefathers. We will not tire.”
Tsvangirai, through his party secretary general Douglas Mwonzora, wrote to Mudenda following Zanu PF’s withdrawal of its former secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa and ex-Mashonaland West chairperson Temba Mliswa.
The Speaker had, on two previous occasions, refused to entertain Tsvangirai’s plea to recall members of the Renewal group and Biti last week declared Mudenda could not legally change his decision.
Mutasa, the Headlands legislator, has also approached the Constitutional Court to overturn his expulsion and Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, earlier this week, agreed that the matter was urgent and set it down for hearing on the 1st of April.
Following the split last April, Biti with support from deputy treasurer general Elton Mangoma and other leaders resolved to suspend Tsvangirai, his deputy Thokozani Khupe and others from the party.
Tsvangirai and national chairman Lovemore Moyo were in June last year then expelled from the party after a three man tribunal tried them in absentia.
The former premier at one time sought a court order to stop the hearing but later inexplicably withdrew.
An MDC-T congress held in October then resolved to expel Biti and his colleagues setting the stage for a bruising legal battle that could spill into the next election set for 2018. New Zimbabwe
His sentiments come in the wake of Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda’s ruling Tuesday, expelling Biti and 20 other legislators from parliament.
They were ousted after the MDC-T led by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai wrote to the Speaker announcing that the group had “crossed the floor” and should therefore lose their seats in accordance with the law.
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| FORMER Finance Minister Tendai Biti, now secretary general of a breakaway faction of the MDC-T, has declared that his group is more determined than ever to remove “this system of oppression and repression”. |
“It is a political decision because there has not been a change in circumstances since the Speaker ruled that he could not interfere in the MDC-T’s leadership dispute. The matter has not been resolved,” said Biti.
“This will just strengthen our resolve because Zanu PF has teamed up with its acolyte in the form of Morgan Tsvangirai”.
He said his resolve to fight “the dictatorship” will be greater than it has ever been.
“This decision will be challenged, of course, but all in all it provides us with renewed vigour as well as strength to fight for the democratization of our country,” he said.
“To remove the system called Zanu PF and its latest sidekick in the form of Morgan Tsvangirai who has shown Zimbabweans.
“We will fight tooth and nail to remove this system of repression and oppression that has poisoned our country and left citizens living in squalor in the land of their forefathers. We will not tire.”
Tsvangirai, through his party secretary general Douglas Mwonzora, wrote to Mudenda following Zanu PF’s withdrawal of its former secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa and ex-Mashonaland West chairperson Temba Mliswa.
The Speaker had, on two previous occasions, refused to entertain Tsvangirai’s plea to recall members of the Renewal group and Biti last week declared Mudenda could not legally change his decision.
Mutasa, the Headlands legislator, has also approached the Constitutional Court to overturn his expulsion and Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, earlier this week, agreed that the matter was urgent and set it down for hearing on the 1st of April.
Following the split last April, Biti with support from deputy treasurer general Elton Mangoma and other leaders resolved to suspend Tsvangirai, his deputy Thokozani Khupe and others from the party.
Tsvangirai and national chairman Lovemore Moyo were in June last year then expelled from the party after a three man tribunal tried them in absentia.
The former premier at one time sought a court order to stop the hearing but later inexplicably withdrew.
An MDC-T congress held in October then resolved to expel Biti and his colleagues setting the stage for a bruising legal battle that could spill into the next election set for 2018. New Zimbabwe
