MDC-T members to drag Mwonzora to court over vote rigging

LEAKED messages from the social media platform WhatsApp have exposed continued deep-seated divisions in the MDC-T following its controversial extra ordinary congress last week, which saw Douglas Mwonzora emerging as the party's presidential winner.

In the string of conversations under the chat group, Defending Morgan Tsvangirai Legacy (DMTL), and MDC-T pressure group, party members are up-in-arms over how Mwonzora usurped power from other candidates, then interim president Thokozani Khupe, Elias Mudzuri, and Morgen Komichi.

To get back to him, and strip him off his new position, the DMTL information secretary, Warship Dumba said Mwonzora grabbed power using violence and should be challenged in court.

"They (Mwonzora and MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa) both grabbed power using violence and chicanery. Both are guilty of the same offence," he said.

Dumba, a former Harare councillor, told other group members the DMTL was contemplating taking Mwonzora to court over allegations of rigging the party's internal poll.

"In the meantime, we are busy compiling evidence that we would like to take to court for litigation. We cannot say principle is below the party because lack of democratic principles by Zanu-PF led to the formation of the MDC. If we accept rigged elections within our party, saying the party must move on then we have no moral standing to slam Zanu-PF for rigging elections."

The DMTL members are reportedly bitter as they are reported to have been backing Khupe's presidential bid.

Dumba added: "If Mr Mwonzora abused political parties' finances while he was the secretary-general of the party what more when he is president? We would like to put it categorically clear to the world that as DMTL, we unambiguously condemn the EOC process and its outcome."

He also accused Mwonzora of bussing non MDC-T 2014 party structures to vote at the congress.

"We would not like to say much about anything at the moment since we have already started our legal challenge of that shameful event where non-members of the party were bussed and brought in to vote as delegates of 2014. We wouldn't like to bless any election where members were beaten with others hospitalised or in the name of one candidate."

Another unidentified DMTL member said he was shocked DMTL national coordinator only identified as Maravanyika congratulated Mwonzora for winning the congress election.

"It has come to us as shock to note that DMTL national coordinator (Maravanyika) has taken it upon himself to congratulate Mr Douglas Mwonzora for having been declared the new MDC-T president after a sham EOC (extra ordinary congress) held at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) on the 27th of December 2020," wrote one disgruntled member.

"The MDC members and the world at large must know that it is the position of DMTL that we see no difference between what Mr Nelson Chamisa and Mr Douglas Mwonzora did."