Trade unions have expressed anger over the expulsion of the MDC Alliance’s Gideon Shoko from Senate by the MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe.
According to NewZimbabwe.com, Shoko and Khupe had a romantic relationship some years ago which led to the birth of a baby girl.
Ian Makoshori, the Zimbabwe Banks and Allied Workers Union (ZIBAWU) argued that Khupe should have considered the upkeep of their child before firing Shoko. Said Makoshori:
We are very disgruntled as activists in the labour movement because these two met and dated during their time in unionism, but today Khupe is using her influence to harass a father to her own child.
Where does she think Shoko will get money for the upkeep of their child if she behaves like this?
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Peter Mutasa characterised MDC-T leaders as hypocrites who were dumping their former colleagues. Mutasa said:
It is an unexpected vicious attack by a group that hypocritically projects itself as labour activists.
We never expected that they will go to such low levels and recall our immediate past deputy general secretary.
That shows a serious lack of respect and unmitigated hate of the labour movement.
Khupe, alongside the late MDC founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai and other officials, left the ZCTU to join politics before forming the MDC in 1999.
Meanwhile, Shoko was a senator in the Bulawayo Metropolitan and was among eight MDC Alliance senators expelled from Parliament Wednesday.