HARARE – Douglas Mwonzora and Morgan Komichi are keeping their cards close to their chests as fresh battles erupt for control of the mainstream MDC after the Supreme Court ruled that Thokozani Khupe is the legitimate leader of the party.
In a shock move, Mwonzora and Komichi jumped into Khupe’s corner as soon as the judgement was delivered last Monday.
The two say they are now preparing for a new congress under Khupe’s guidance in what has been viewed as an open rebellion against Nelson Chamisa.
Another top MDC official, Elias Mudzuri, has made statements sympathetic to Mwonzora and Komochi.
Mwonzora yesterday said it was unfair to ask him if he was interested in becoming the new MDC leader.
“What an unfair question,” he said. “Why am I the only one being asked that question?
“We have already started preparing for the congress because the Supreme Court has made its pronouncement.
“The Supreme Court has given the MDC a chance to regularise its issues and elect its leaders.
“What the Supreme Court has not told us is which leader to choose.”
The senator for Manicaland said himself and Komichi would be in charge of congress preparations.
“Basically, very much being that these are the key offices [secretary-general and chairman] that run the organisation, yes the acting president will be there,” he said.
“What we want to do is to make sure that the voters’ roll is verified.
“We need to check the physical existence of those people and that will entail an exercise where our people move around and check the physical existence of those people.”
He said any MDC official who is fully subscribed and who meets the constitutional requirements is eligible to stand for the post of president, but shut the door on MDC Alliance deputies Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube.
Mudzuri yesterday said it was now time for the MDC to face reality and show leadership as well as respect the people.
“We should be asking the people what they want. It is the MDC under trial here and we should not talk about ourselves and our egos.
“If we don’t understand the public, we are all going to lose. I see everything is being personalised and looking for who is who and the public must guide us.
All opinion leaders must be roped in to say where are we and where are we going,” Mudzuri said, but could not give his position on his political future.
He added: “It is a national issue and no longer personal. Revise what has been going on and say is it right or wrong and say let us build together. We must be able to talk to each other.”
Komichi could not commit on whether he would stand or not and could only say: “That is too personal.”
He, however, said Biti and Ncube were not eligible to stand at the coming congress.
Chamisa, Biti and Ncube have, however, distanced themselves from the congress, saying the ruling did not affect them in anyway because it had nothing to do with the MDC Alliance. – The Standard
