FORMER Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s faction came out guns blazing yesterday, a day after a group led by Tendai Biti said it had suspended him as leader of MDC-T.
Staff Reporter
MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora told journalists in Harare that the suspension of Tsvangirai and six other top lieutenants was null and void.
He blamed the chaos engulfing the party on President Robert Mugabe and MDC leader Welshman Ncube.
Mwonzora said Biti and his group had attempted a coup by illegally convening a national council meeting that was held at Mandel Training Centre instead of Harvest House, the MDC-T headquarters.
“It is clear that this (Saturday) meeting is a culmination of a sustained programme of both overt and covert operations involving Zanu PF, State security agents, Welshman Ncube and the Zimbabwe Institute,” he said.
“This meeting was void from the very beginning and thus, no lawful and binding resolutions can derive from such a meeting.
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“The MDC-T, therefore, wishes to categorically state that yesterday’s meeting was a bogus non-event.
“In fact, it was a grouping of comic individuals masquerading as the national council.”
Biti’s group announced that it had also suspended Tsvangirai’s deputy Thokozani Khupe, MDC-T chairman Lovemore Moyo and his deputy Morgan Komichi, organising secretary Nelson Chamisa and his deputy Abednico Bhebhe as well Mwonzora.
The suspensions of deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma, youth leader Promise Mkhwananzi, Jacob Mafume and Last Maengahama had also been reversed, the group said.
Biti’s faction accused Tsvangirai of using violence, violating the MDC-T constitution and deviating from democratic principles among a litany of issues.
Lobengula MP Samuel Sipepa Nkomo said the MDC-T guardian council would run the affairs of the party until a congress was held.
However, Mwonzora said Nkomo had no authority to a chair a meeting of the national council and suggested Biti and his group had been sent by Mugabe and Ncube to destabilise MDC-T.
Ncube’s MDC immediately distanced itself from the MDC-T infighting.
“The MDC wishes to unequivocally place it on record once and for all that we have consciously refrained from commenting on the internal fights within the MDC-T and as such we are astounded by remarks attributed to that party’s spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora where he includes Ncube among the people he blames for his party’s squabbles,” MDC spokesperson Nhlanhla Dube said in a statement.
“It is our hope that sooner rather than later the culture of taking responsibility for the things we do and situations we find ourselves in as political parties will sit well with our compatriots within the MDC-T and that they will collectively see the folly of the ostrich approach to problems.
“Neither Professor Ncube nor the MDC caused the violent beatings meted out on Elton Mangoma, Promise Mkhwananzi and the harassment of Tendai Biti, Solomon Madzore and others,” he added.
“It is shocking that even for this glaring mistake, the MDC-T still refuses to take responsibility for their actions, choosing instead to blame everybody else but themselves.”
Mwonzora hinted that a split in the MDC-T was already in the offing and accused Biti and Mangoma of taking over party assets.
He said the MDC-T standing committee will meet today followed by the national executive and council tomorrow to deliberate on the implosion.
Tsvangirai presided over the split of the united MDC in 2005 after the party’s national council voted to take part in the senatorial elections.
