PARTY rivals said Wednesday Morgan Tsvangirai – often chided for flip flopping over key decisions - was behaving to type after the former pr...
PARTY rivals said Wednesday Morgan Tsvangirai – often chided for flip flopping over key decisions - was behaving to type after the former premier approached the High Court to challenge his suspension as MDC-T leader.
A section of the opposition party, no longer enthused with the former trade unionist’s leadership, gathered at Harare’s Mandel Training Centre on April 26 and agreed to suspend Tsvangirai along with a handful of top officials still backing him.
But Tsvangirai responded by sacking the rebels who include former cabinet ministers Tendai Biti, Elton Mangoma and Samuel Sipepa Nkomo.
Allies said the MDC-T leader would not waste time attending a planned disciplinary hearing to answer various charges, adding the so-called Renewal Team had no authority over him after effectively forming a separate party.
Dismissing the Mandel meeting’s resolutions, organising secretary Nelson Chamisa said then: “This is utter nonsense. They have actually formed a party not that they have suspended us.
“How can one claim to be divorcing a partner whom he or she had already been divorced from many years ago? It’s a nullity to us and it means nothing."
However, Tsvangirai has now approached the High Court to challenge the suspension.
And commenting on the development, Renewal Team spokesperson, Jacob Mafume, said by going to court, Tsvangirai and his group were acknowledging that the Mandel meeting was legitimately convened.
"What it means is that they have acknowledged that the Mandel meeting occurred and the MDC did meet and came up with resolutions that bind them until set aside by a court,” Mafume said Wednesday.
According to papers before the High Court, Tsvangirai - represented by former youth chairperson Tamsanqa Mahlangu and 128 other party leaders - wants the Mandel meeting declared “illegal, null and void”.
The gathering - which was chaired by Nkomo - suspended Tsvangirai pending a disciplinary hearing and placed the party under “curatorship”, with party elder Sekai Holland given interim charge.
However, Mahlangu said Nkomo had no authority to chair a meeting of the MDC-T’s national council, adding that the group also contravened sections of the party’s constitution.
"The defendants specifically excluded inviting the 130 plaintiffs to the meeting at Mandel Training Centre and only 33 members of the national council attended the meeting," Mahlangu said.
Mafume said they would soon file opposing papers.
“We will respond (to the court challenge) within the time stipulated through our lawyers, that is within 10 days and the action by the Tsvangirai camp is bad at law."
Meanwhile, the Tsvangirai camp has also filed another court case claiming party properties which include some 120 vehicles and the Harvest House head office.
The faction alleges that Biti, Mangoma and party coordinator, Fortune Gwaze, were appointed directors of Laphonic Investments, a firm established to ensure the security of party’s assets.
According to the application, the trio allegedly refused to step down in February to pave way for new directors which means disposal of the properties cannot be done without their consent.
A section of the opposition party, no longer enthused with the former trade unionist’s leadership, gathered at Harare’s Mandel Training Centre on April 26 and agreed to suspend Tsvangirai along with a handful of top officials still backing him.
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| Suspension: Tsvangirai flips – and flops |
Allies said the MDC-T leader would not waste time attending a planned disciplinary hearing to answer various charges, adding the so-called Renewal Team had no authority over him after effectively forming a separate party.
Dismissing the Mandel meeting’s resolutions, organising secretary Nelson Chamisa said then: “This is utter nonsense. They have actually formed a party not that they have suspended us.
“How can one claim to be divorcing a partner whom he or she had already been divorced from many years ago? It’s a nullity to us and it means nothing."
However, Tsvangirai has now approached the High Court to challenge the suspension.
And commenting on the development, Renewal Team spokesperson, Jacob Mafume, said by going to court, Tsvangirai and his group were acknowledging that the Mandel meeting was legitimately convened.
"What it means is that they have acknowledged that the Mandel meeting occurred and the MDC did meet and came up with resolutions that bind them until set aside by a court,” Mafume said Wednesday.
According to papers before the High Court, Tsvangirai - represented by former youth chairperson Tamsanqa Mahlangu and 128 other party leaders - wants the Mandel meeting declared “illegal, null and void”.
The gathering - which was chaired by Nkomo - suspended Tsvangirai pending a disciplinary hearing and placed the party under “curatorship”, with party elder Sekai Holland given interim charge.
However, Mahlangu said Nkomo had no authority to chair a meeting of the MDC-T’s national council, adding that the group also contravened sections of the party’s constitution.
"The defendants specifically excluded inviting the 130 plaintiffs to the meeting at Mandel Training Centre and only 33 members of the national council attended the meeting," Mahlangu said.
Mafume said they would soon file opposing papers.
“We will respond (to the court challenge) within the time stipulated through our lawyers, that is within 10 days and the action by the Tsvangirai camp is bad at law."
Meanwhile, the Tsvangirai camp has also filed another court case claiming party properties which include some 120 vehicles and the Harvest House head office.
The faction alleges that Biti, Mangoma and party coordinator, Fortune Gwaze, were appointed directors of Laphonic Investments, a firm established to ensure the security of party’s assets.
According to the application, the trio allegedly refused to step down in February to pave way for new directors which means disposal of the properties cannot be done without their consent.
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