……as confusion reins supreme
THE MDC-T political drama continues to play out with Thokozani Khupe claiming the party’s president Douglas Mwonzora expelled himself from the party and should be recalled from parliament.
She also claimed the Manicaland senator has entered into a new political alliance with two political parties, effectively invalidating the pre-2018 electoral pact signed between the late Morgan Tsvangirai and seven other party leaders. dressing journalists in Bulawayo Friday, Khupe who announced her breakaway from Mwonzora’s outfit, claimed that Mwonzora has now entered into a fresh agreement with the Lucia Matibenga led PDP and Shupikai Mandaza of MDC-N.In 2017 seven political parties agreed to work together during the 2018 polls under the leadership of the late MDC-T leader Tsvangirai.
“I now turn to the issue of the MDC-T and the MDC Alliance. The composite Political Co-operation Agreement was signed by the late Dr Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T) Prof Welshman Ncube (MDC), Tendai Biti (PDP) , Jacob Ngarivhume (Transform Zimbabwe ) ,Agrippa Mutambara, (Zim PF), Mathias Guchutu (MCD) and Denford Musiyarira (Zanu Ndonga) at the Zimbabwe Grounds where the above mentioned Principals appended their signatures,” Khupe said.
“Mwonzora has now formed a new alliance with the likes of Lucia Matibenga of PDP which was part of former Vice President (Joyce) Mujuru ‘s led People Rainbow Coalition and Shupikai Mandaza of the MDC-N whose, position is unknown among others. This is a completely new and different pact,” she said.
Khupe also said Mwonzora has expelled himself from the party after he wrote a letter to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) notifying the electoral body that the MDC-T will contest the upcoming by-elections as MDC Alliance.
“In addition to this, Mwonzora has already notified ZEC that he will contest the upcoming by –elections under the MDC –Alliance party. In so doing, Mwonzora has fired himself because in terms of the MDC-T Constitution Article 5.10 (a), membership of the party shall be terminated if a member joins or supports a political party other than the MDC-T. Termination of membership in these circumstances is automatic,” she said.
Khupe further explained that Mwonzora’s circumstance is like several MPs and councillors who were recalled by the MDC-T from council and parliament for joining the MDC Alliance.
“I would like to substantiate this by alluding to the fact that Mwonzora recalled several MPs and councillors because they were members of the Alliance and recently, he recalled Josiah Makombe because he was said to be a member of the Alliance and therefore he had seized to be a n MDC-T member. This a clear indication that Douglas Togarasei Mwonzora is no longer a member of MDC-T,” Khupe claimed.
“Surely with all these transgressions Douglas Togarasei Mwonzora cannot continue at the helm of a democratic party such as the MDC-T. As deputy president, I played my part in advising him in terms of my Constitutional role in article 9.2.1.,” she said.
Mwonzora has insisted that both the MDC-T and Alliance nomenclatures belong to his party.
