MDC-T interim secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora says he is confident of winning the presidency of the party at the extraordinary congress to be held this Sunday.
The MDC-T is set to hold its elective congress this weekend
after it was cancelled at the last minute six days ago by party interim leader
Thokozani Khupe following allegations that Mwonzora was manipulating the
voters’ roll.
However, Khupe and Mwonzora faced off in a stormy meeting
on Monday to resolve the dispute over the voters’ roll to be used at the
party’s congress.
Accusations against Mwonzora were that he allegedly tried
to sneak in a “doctored” voters’ roll stuffed with names of his backers who
were not part of the 2014 MDC-T structures.
This was after the Supreme Court ruled in March this year
that the party should convene an elective congress to replace the late founding
leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who died in February 2018.
“I believe there are efforts to try to scuttle my chances
of winning. However, they will not succeed. The people shall speak,” Mwonzora
said in an interview.
Khupe and Mwonzora are seen as the frontrunners for the
MDC-T presidency at the elective congress where they will also battle it out
with party acting chairman, Morgen Komichi and deputy national chairman Elias
Mudzuri.
As the chaos in Khupe’s party continues before its
congress, last Saturday during a national council meeting at Mudzuri’s house,
the party resolved to audit the voters’ roll.
At another meeting on Monday, Mwonzora allegedly struggled
to present his version of the voters’ roll which he claimed represented the
party’s 2014 structures.
Khupe was said to be armed with a copy of the 2014
structures favoured to the party by suspended organising secretary Abednico
Bhebhe.
An insider said the party was contemplating using a printed
roll fearing that a soft copy could be hacked and manipulated.
Khupe’s former aide, Witness Dube who is now an ally of
Mwonzora, said the MDC-T needed “healing” to reconcile warring factions torn
apart by the upcoming elective congress.
There have been fights for assets, which have at times
turned physical and violent, as opposing factions within the opposition party
push for control of the party.
“I am very grateful and proud of the 10 years I spent with
Khupe. However, this congress is about the millions of Zimbabweans looking up
to MDC for economic, political and social reforms for the better,” Dube told
NewsDay.
“I am optimistic that this congress will give MDC an
opportunity to heal when campaigns fold and that focus will return to assuming
the role of being the official opposition.”
The congress, however, hangs in the balance if the High
Court rules in favour of Bhebhe, who is seeking its postponement.
Bhebhe filed an urgent chamber application at the Bulawayo
High Court last Friday seeking an interdict stopping the holding of the
congress until matter challenging his suspension and subsequent expulsion from
the party is resolved.
However, High Court judge Justice Christopher Dube Banda
postponed the matter to this week after the respondents’ lawyer, Tawanda
Tawengwa argued that the respondents could not prepare opposing papers because
they were served with the applicant‘s court papers very late on Tuesday last
week. The matter is set to be heard any day from today.
The former Nkayi South legislator was recently expelled
from the MDC on charges that he was an MDC Alliance lackey, which he denies.
Bhebhe was also eyeing the presidency. Newsday
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