Sikhala unbowed by Tsvangirai suspension

Sikhala unbowed by Tsvangirai suspension

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• Nigeria, Ghana sucked into MDC crisis

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• Bloody Monday for MDC

• Paul T Nyathi: Tribal slurs easy to make, but extremely dangerous

• Brilliant Mhlanga: MDC no longer an alternative

• Patrick Mlambo: Tsvangirai has lost plot

• Nyathi hits back at Tsvangirai bribery claims

• B Mhlanga: Tsvangirai fell for Zanu PF bait

• Alex Magaisa: Handling a fledging democracy

• Elliot Pfebve: Tsvangirai & Mugabe, larvae and butterfly scenario

• MDC moves to impeach Tsvangirai

• Sibanda: Tsvangirai in breach of constitution

• Tsvangirai accuses officials of vote-buying

• Itai Zimunya: MDC split good for Zimbabwe

• Tsvangirai bid to heal rifts

• Chenjerai Hove: The MDC and a very Zimbabwean disease

• Tsvangirai must 'come to terms' - Nyathi

• M Makwanya: Lessons in democratic process

• Heads must roll

• MDC splits widen after senate vote

• Tsvangirai: We are out

• Nyathi: We are in

• MDC to boycott senate - Tsvangirai

By Staff Reporter

ST MARY'S MP Job Sikhala on Tuesday rejected his “purported” suspension from Zimbabwe’s main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.

“I will not be suspended by Tsvangirai. My full response to this purported suspension will follow,” Sikhala said Tuesday.

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the crisis-torn MDC, wrote to Sikhala on Monday, suspending the outspoken MP over his reported remarks where he alleged party officials were wrangling over a $500 000 donation from the Nigerian and Ghanaian governments.

The remarks sparked a diplomatic crisis as Ghana and Nigeria angrily rejected the claims, followed by Taiwan which Sikhala alleged made a $2 million donation to the party two years ago. Sikhala was later reported to have apologised and withdrew the remarks, although he rejected this on Tuesday

Tsvangirai’s spokesman, William Bango said Sikhala was barred from conducting party business or organising rallies while his fate was being decided.

"He is barred from conducting any party business or organising any rallies on behalf of the MDC pending a final determination of the matter on Saturday (when the national council meets)," Bango said.

However, a senior MDC official opposed to Tsvangirai on the question of participating in senatorial elections later this month told New Zimbabwe.com that the MDC leader did not have the power to suspend elected MPs.

“Tsvangirai has given himself sweeping general powers that he doesn’t have. The MDC has a disciplinary committee headed by the party’s deputy president, Gibson Sibanda, and any attempts by Tsvangirai to transfer the disciplinary committee’s role to himself or the national council further exposes his limited understanding of basic rules governing the operations of the party,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

New Zimbabwe.com can reveal that a group of MDC officials and supporters who have supported participation in the senate would be boycotting the national council meeting called by Tsvangirai for Saturday. They say the meeting has been called by Tsvangirai’s camp to rail-road through his anti-senate message and “legitimise his unconstitutional defiance of a national council decision to participate in the senate elections.”

Sikhala’s stinging remarks are understood to have led to African diplomats in Harare shunning any interaction with the MDC.

Tsvangirai regularly engages with African and European diplomats based in Harare.

Sikhala had also alleged that MDC funds had been misappropriated by senior party leaders and they were now fighting to control a "thinning cake" as donors begin to desert the MDC due to its perceived impotence.

Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa announced that his government would immediately probe the MDC over the issue. Under Zimbabwe's Political Parties Finance Act, it is illegal to receive foreign funding for political activities.

Since only Tsvangirai had met with Ghanaian President John Kuffour, Sikhala’s utterances were immediately understood to refer to him as the official who got money and failed to declare it to the party.
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