MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume has dismissed claims by the MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe that a recent court ruling against Nelson Chamisa’s leadership had given control of the party headquarters and other assets including political party funding to Khupe.
An excited MDC-T vice president Obert Gutu told the privately owned Daily News that they had engaged their legal team led by Professor Lovemore Madhuku to block the Chamisa-led party from receiving money from government in terms of the Political Parties (Finance) Act.
“Our legal team is busy on the matter right now. Of course, we are very much aware that the other respondents in the High Court will note an appeal to the Supreme Court in a desperate but futile and misguided attempt to delay the day of final reckoning,” Gutu told the paper.
“However, their prospects of success on appeal are close to zero and they know it. They are just desperate to proceed with their sham ‘congress’ in Gweru in order to ordain their illegitimate leader. It’s kindergarten gibberish, really. Well, they will not have their cake and eat it.
“They will have to continue to be bankrolled by Robert Mugabe as has been the case since February, 2018. It’s surely going to be a very long winter of discontent amongst our erstwhile comrades,” Gutu who lost the parliamentary election for the Harare East constituency by a dismal margin said.
MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume had no kind words for Gutu, telling the Daily News;
“Unlike them we are not getting any money from anyone, we know that they are being funded for the fake dialogue they are doing with Mnangagwa, that is why Mnangagwa is helping them to fight the people. We have seen them being booked in hotels and they are in bed with Zanu PF,” said Mafume.
“They have not been given powers over our headquarters or our assets, a court order cannot tell us to accept a leader who was rejected by the voters, she has her own members and therefore no court can order the hearts and souls of Zimbabwe to support her.
“In Parliament she has her own people and the MPs from the MDC are in Parliament because they contested on the MDC Alliance ticket and therefore she cannot do anything about that.
“I hear they say they have a legal route they want to take but what legal route are they talking about of course there is no law against daydreaming but the issue remains we are not going to be sidetracked and we will hold our congress as scheduled, we are within the time to deal with any issues that may arise we will remain vigilant because the plan is to destroy the MDC,” said Mafume.
As already reported by Nehanda Radio, early this month Justice Edith Mushore, ruled that former leader Morgan Tsvangirai broke the party constitution when he appointed three vice presidents months before his death. Further, Chamisa’s assumption of the MDC presidency following Tsvangirai’s death was “unconstitutional and therefore null and void”.
The judge directed the party to hold an extraordinary congress within a month using party structures that existed in 2014, the time of the last congress. However David Coltart, a senior MDC official and lawyer, said the judge was interfering with the MDC’s internal processes.
“It will be appealed. This is what is called a brutum fulmen – ‘empty thunder’, an ineffective order. By the time the appeal is heard a duly constituted Congress of the MDC will have been held and Nelson Chamisa elected. It’s a pathetic interference with the due process of a party,” Coltart said.
Political commentator Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya told Nehanda Radio;
“The MDC led by Nelson Chamisa needs both a legal and ROBUST political response to this judiciary capture masquerading as rule of law. Going by this nonsense it means the likes of James Maridadi who has joined ZANU PF and Eddie Cross now adviser to ED will attend congress using 2014 structures. We have argued before that there can’t be justice in courts captured by a party/state/military complex as there was no justice under Rhodesia.”
