Khupe to expose theft by Chamisa's faction

WOES continue to mount for embattled MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa following reports that the rival camp led by legitimate MDC-T president Dr Thokozani Khupe took control of most of the troubled opposition party offices and other assets around the country.

The Dr Khupe faction, which has also recovered vehicles, says it is now in the process of carrying an audit to expose any theft or abuse of the party properties with the MDC-T national chairman Senator Morgan Komichi yesterday confirming the latest developments.

"We managed to repossess most of our offices. We started with the occupation of the party headquarters Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House, which is the flagship of the party.

"After the headquarters we went on to occupy Bulawayo, Masvingo, Hwange, in Matabeleland North, Gwanda in Matabeleland South, Marondera, Mashonaland East, Gweru in Midlands province offices.

"We are now in the process of occupying Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West and Manicaland provinces. So far, we have managed to secure some of our vehicles, but I do not have the numbers off-head," he said.

This all comes after the Supreme Court in March reversed Mr Chamisa's ascendancy to the MDC leadership in 2018 on the basis that he assumed power illegally and reinstated Dr Khupe as the interim president of the MDC-T pending an extraordinary congress.

After taking control of the MDC-T, the Khupe camp went on to recall and replace senators, MPs and councillors loyal to Mr Chamisa. Now the Dr Khupe camp is carrying out an audit that Mr Komichi said is designed to unearth any abuse of the party properties including vehicles and computers.

"We are currently carrying out an audit of party assets such as vehicles, furniture, books of accounts and party offices in all the provinces and appropriate action will be taken at the appropriate time. The legitimate leadership of the MDC party has finally occupied their offices," said Senator Komichi.

Mr Komichi said the occupation of their offices is a fulfilment of the Supreme Court ruling that stated that everything that was presided over by Mr Chamisa, since he illegally took over the reins of the party in 2018 is null and void. He added that since Chamisa has claimed to be the leader of the MDC Alliance he cannot lay claim to any offices whose ownership is enshrined in the party's constitution to be the MDC.

"Guided by the Supreme Court judgment, which reinstated madam Khupe and gave us power to organise an extraordinary congress to choose a new leadership, we have taken over because the party's constitution in section 1:4 stipulates that the headquarters of MDC is 44 Nelson Mandela, Harvest House building," said Komichi.

Since March this year, when the Supreme Court ruled that Mr Chamisa's succession of the late Morgan Tsvangirai was fraught with illegalities, he and his loyalists have suffered a series of defeats in the courts and presently he could be deserted by more MPs after Dr Khupe issued an ultimatum for legislators to respect Government bodies such as Parliament or face the axe.