Defiant Mwonzora pushes for MDC-T congress




MDC-T Secretary-General Douglas Mwonzora
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A DEFIANT MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora insisted Wednesday that the party will hold an extraordinary congress despite party acting president Nelson Chamisa rubbishing the demand.

Mwonzora, deputy president Thokozani Khupe and organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe survived a brutal attack during late MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai in Buhera after a marauding mob tried to set a hut in which they were hiding on fire.

The mob accused the trio of opposing Chamisa who took charge of the party hours after Tsvangirai died last Wednesday.

However, in an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, Mwonzora said he would not back down.

“The extraordinary congress will happen, and it will happen before the general elections this year. We want to return the MDC-T to constitutionalism and rule of law,” said Mwonzora.

Chamisa in his address to mourners said his takeover of power was constitutional.

“We made sure there is no power vacuum and what we did was perfectly constitutional,” he said.

“You do not just wake up in an extraordinary congress. There are processes to be followed and we will be convening internal party meetings to deal with the way forward.”

But Mwonzora, without mentioning Chamisa by name, hit back.

“We will not bow down to pressure from people who are scared of the law and party procedures.

“It will be a negation of duty of our part if we are to allow them to railroad us into accepting an illegal power grab that is anchored in violence,” the former Nyanga North lawmaker said.

Mwonzora has repeatedly indicated that he will be convening special meetings of the MDC-T national executive and national council to deal with the issue but Chamisa is opposed to the move.

The stand-off a up the two for a confrontation that could turn nasty as the battle for control of the country’s biggest opposition party threatens to split it yet again. – NewsDay