A Thokozani Khupe ally is planning to confront Nelson Chamisa’s MDC Alliance with a court challenge seeking to stop the beleaguered opposition from using the name MDC.
This follows recent court rulings declaring Chamisa’s rise to the helm of the main opposition as illegal and that MDC Alliance was not a political party but a coalition.
The courts also restored the party’s leadership in the hands of Khupe, who was 2018 elbowed out of the race to succeed late founding MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai by Chamisa and allies.
Little known Bulawayo MDC activist, Divine Mafa has plans to front the challenge through the High Court.
Divine is son to former Magwegwe legislator and newly appointed MDC-A deputy national spokesperson Felix Mafa.
The two have contrasting views over the trajectory of opposition politics in the country.
“I have decided to file a lawsuit to challenge use of the party name in any other form by anyone including Chamisa’s Alliance,” he wrote in a request to party Thokozani Kupe to sanction the challenge.
“In this regard, I am waiting for your decision and go ahead.
“It is my belief that we should have one MDC that was founded in 1999.
“By filing this lawsuit, I would have done my part to add to democracy and help to protect the poor and weak.”
The younger Mafa expressed his support for Khupe to restore the main opposition to “constitutionalism”.
“I am behind you in this issue of returning to constitutionalism of The MDC PARTY because I, myself, have been advocating for constitutionalism in our movement for some time and it seemed no one heard me.”
He added, “I would like to urge you to look into the issue of imposition of candidates and the use of the militia to cow people by candidates who were imposed to represent MDC in parliament.
“These you must recall from parliament since they did not follow the due processes of primary elections.
“They were imposed on the people and some with their deep pockets. The grassroots were deprived of their constitutional right to choose leaders of their choice.
“By filing this lawsuit, I would have done my part to add to democracy and help to protect the poor and weak.”
Mafa also hailed Khupe and Douglas Mwonzora the party’s secretary general for recalling four MDC Alliance MPs from parliament.
“I applaud you for the staunch position that you took when you recalled Charlton Hwende and others from Parliament.
“As for Hwende, he was never elected by the grassroots. He was imposed, and when the people wanted to resist him, they were met with violence like that which visited you at Save’s (Tsvangirai) funeral.
“The imposition of candidates and the use of violence on perceived enemies defies democracy.”
