MDC-T interim leader Dr Thokozani Khupe has sacked Mr
Nelson Chamisa from the opposition party for defying a court ruling that
nullified his leadership of the party and ordered that the organisation reverts
to its 2014 structures.
In a letter addressed to Mr Chamisa in his capacity as the
party’s secretary for policy and research as per the 2014 structures, the Dr
Khupe led MDC-T’s secretary general Mr Douglas Mwonzora cited Mr Chamisa’s
recent appointments and redeployments of the national standing committee as the
reason behind his sacking.
“I note that following the Supreme Court judgement, in MDC
and Others v Elias Mashavira and Others (SC56/2020) of 31 March 2020, which
ruled that you were no longer the President of the Movement for Democratic
Change which was formerly led by the late Dr Morgan Tsvangirai you have
continued to defy the court order,” said Mr Mwonzora.
“The latest incident is when on 21 May 2020 you issued a
communication to the effect that you had in your capacity as the President of
the MDC Alliance Party made certain appointments and redeployments to the
Party’s National Standing Committee. You could only have made these
appointments as president of the party other than the Party that was referred
to in the Supreme Court judgement in the case mentioned above.”
Mr Mwonzora said in terms of clause 5.10.(a) of the MDC-T
constitution Mr Chamisa had automatically terminated his membership to the
party by joining or forming another party.
Last month, Dr Khupe recalled Mr Prosper Mutseyami, who is
also Dangamvura-Chikanga legislator, Kuwadzana legislator Mr Charlton Hwende,
Ms Thabitha Khumalo (proportional representation) and Senator Lilian Timveous
from Parliament.
Efforts to get a comment from Mr Chamisa’s spokesperson Dr
Nkululeko Sibanda were fruitless.
However, commenting on the letter on Twitter yesterday
afternoon, Dr Sibanda said: “It’s the People Stupid, if I may borrow from
President Clinton. Trying so hard. People, people, people, the people of
Zimbabwe wrote a letter to President Chamisa, and he is focused on that letter
and not this Zanu-PF sponsored outfit.”
Zanu-PF has, however, denied any involvement in the
internal affairs of opposition parties saying they are busy working towards
achieving Vision 2030.
High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi last week ruled
that the MDC-Alliance does not legally exist as a legal person who can sue in
court, and in the dispute of the MDC-T recall of legislators, it does not have
the standing to sue, suggesting that the recalled legislators could bring legal
actions as individuals.
In April, the Supreme Court ruled that Mr Chamisa is not
the legitimate MDC leader in terms of the party’s constitution and subsequently
ordered the convening of an extra-ordinary congress within three months to
elect a new president.
The ruling by Supreme Court judge Justice Bharat Patel,
sitting with Justices Paddington Garwe and Antonia Guvava, followed an appeal
by MDC Alliance leaders Messrs Chamisa and Morgan Komichi challenging last
year’s ruling by Harare High Court judge Justice Edith Mushore declaring that
Mr Chamisa illegitimately acted as the party leader.
Justice Mushore also nullified the appointments of Mr
Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri as deputy presidents of the MDC, saying they were
unconstitutional.
The dismissal of the appeal automatically reinstated Dr
Khupe as the legitimate leader of the MDC, forcing the party to go back and
start from February 15, 2018. Herald
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