News / National
Knives out for MDC-T officials pushing for Tsvangirai ouster
16 Nov 2013 at 12:53hrs | Views
MDC-T has launched a crackdown on senior party officials pushing for the ouster of party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai with Bulawayo South MP Eddie Cross yesterday being dragged to court for allegedly racially insulting the party's provincial administrator Mr Nkululeko Ndlovu.
The party has also slapped a five-year suspension on former Marondera MP Mr Ian Kay for suggesting that Mr Tsvangirai should resign.
Along with exiled treasurer-general Mr Roy Bennet, Mr Kay and Mr Cross have called for leadership renewal to allow the beleaguered party to "reinvent" itself following the 31 July drubbing at the hands of Zanu-PF.
Now Mr Tsvangirai and his cohorts are hitting back at the rebels in a move which has reportedly angered two donors funding the party.
The financial backers are threatening to pull out as a result.
Chronicle says it understands that the case against Mr Cross has been instigated by Tsvangirai loyalists who are eager to contain a groundswell of discontent sweeping across the MDC against the former Prime Minister's leadership qualities.
Mr Samuel Sipepa-Nkomo, a member of the MDC-T national executive, has reportedly approached Mr Ndlovu to withdraw the charges against Mr Cross in a bid to save the party from losing its key donors.
According to party insiders, Mr Cross is among the MDC-T's top officials plotting to remove Mr Tsvangirai from the helm.
Former Harare mayor and Energy and Power Development Minister Mr Elias Mudzuri is tipped to take over as party president in a line-up that also comprises former ministers in the inclusive government.
Some of the senior officials involved in the plot include Mr Sipepa-Nkomo, tipped for the deputy presidency, former Speaker of Parliament, Mr Lovemore Moyo and the party's secretary-general, Mr Tendai Biti.
Self-exiled treasurer-general Mr Roy Bennett has led calls for Mr Tsvangirai to step down after President Mugabe and Zanu-PF won the 31 July harmonised elections, with Mr Kay and other party officials following suit.
Cross (73) yesterday appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mrs Gladmore Mushove charged with contravening Section 88 (a) of the Post and Telecommunications Services Act (making a telephone call and sending an offensive message).
The magistrate dismissed an application by Cross' lawyer Mr Tim Cherry who was challenging the section under which Cross was being charged saying it did not criminalise him since he did not make any call to Mr Ndlovu.
"He never made a telephone call, but received a telephone call. He denies making any insulting statements. It is common cause that he didn't make a telephone call as captured in the State outline. Section 88 is explicit that a person who makes a call is criminalised not the one receiving. He can't be put on remand unless the State finds a proper section to charge him with.
"My client was arrested yesterday (Monday), weeks after a report had been made to the police and the State had all the time to investigate and come up with a proper section of the Act," Mr Cherry argued in court.
However, in dismissing the application, Mrs Mushove concurred with the State, saying Cross was charged with the correct section and should be placed on remand.
Cross is facing charges of sending an offensive racial statement to Ndlovu on 17 October after he asked him to return excess money amounting to more than $5 000, which he was given to pay polling agents.
He allegedly said to Mr Ndlovu: "Black people shall never run this country properly. You are stupid and talking crap." Mr Ndlovu was offended and reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of Cross.
According to an MDC-T reconciliation form, Mr Ndlovu received $66 470 from the party's head office in Harare on behalf of the Bulawayo province. The money, which he received in two batches, was for payment of the party's polling agents during the elections. Each polling station was supposed to have three agents.
It, however, emerged that Cross took money for four polling agents while other candidates including the Member of Parliament for Nkulumane Mr Thamsanqa Mahlangu, Ms Dorcas Sibanda (Bulawayo Central), Ms Tabitha Khumalo (Bulawayo East) and Mpopoma-Pelandaba MP, Mr Bekithemba Nyathi ended up not fielding the required number of polling agents.
Mr Lozi Mpofu of Cheda and Partners Legal Practitioners is representing Ndlovu.
The party has also slapped a five-year suspension on former Marondera MP Mr Ian Kay for suggesting that Mr Tsvangirai should resign.
Along with exiled treasurer-general Mr Roy Bennet, Mr Kay and Mr Cross have called for leadership renewal to allow the beleaguered party to "reinvent" itself following the 31 July drubbing at the hands of Zanu-PF.
Now Mr Tsvangirai and his cohorts are hitting back at the rebels in a move which has reportedly angered two donors funding the party.
The financial backers are threatening to pull out as a result.
Chronicle says it understands that the case against Mr Cross has been instigated by Tsvangirai loyalists who are eager to contain a groundswell of discontent sweeping across the MDC against the former Prime Minister's leadership qualities.
Mr Samuel Sipepa-Nkomo, a member of the MDC-T national executive, has reportedly approached Mr Ndlovu to withdraw the charges against Mr Cross in a bid to save the party from losing its key donors.
According to party insiders, Mr Cross is among the MDC-T's top officials plotting to remove Mr Tsvangirai from the helm.
Former Harare mayor and Energy and Power Development Minister Mr Elias Mudzuri is tipped to take over as party president in a line-up that also comprises former ministers in the inclusive government.
Some of the senior officials involved in the plot include Mr Sipepa-Nkomo, tipped for the deputy presidency, former Speaker of Parliament, Mr Lovemore Moyo and the party's secretary-general, Mr Tendai Biti.
Self-exiled treasurer-general Mr Roy Bennett has led calls for Mr Tsvangirai to step down after President Mugabe and Zanu-PF won the 31 July harmonised elections, with Mr Kay and other party officials following suit.
Cross (73) yesterday appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mrs Gladmore Mushove charged with contravening Section 88 (a) of the Post and Telecommunications Services Act (making a telephone call and sending an offensive message).
The magistrate dismissed an application by Cross' lawyer Mr Tim Cherry who was challenging the section under which Cross was being charged saying it did not criminalise him since he did not make any call to Mr Ndlovu.
"He never made a telephone call, but received a telephone call. He denies making any insulting statements. It is common cause that he didn't make a telephone call as captured in the State outline. Section 88 is explicit that a person who makes a call is criminalised not the one receiving. He can't be put on remand unless the State finds a proper section to charge him with.
"My client was arrested yesterday (Monday), weeks after a report had been made to the police and the State had all the time to investigate and come up with a proper section of the Act," Mr Cherry argued in court.
However, in dismissing the application, Mrs Mushove concurred with the State, saying Cross was charged with the correct section and should be placed on remand.
Cross is facing charges of sending an offensive racial statement to Ndlovu on 17 October after he asked him to return excess money amounting to more than $5 000, which he was given to pay polling agents.
He allegedly said to Mr Ndlovu: "Black people shall never run this country properly. You are stupid and talking crap." Mr Ndlovu was offended and reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of Cross.
According to an MDC-T reconciliation form, Mr Ndlovu received $66 470 from the party's head office in Harare on behalf of the Bulawayo province. The money, which he received in two batches, was for payment of the party's polling agents during the elections. Each polling station was supposed to have three agents.
It, however, emerged that Cross took money for four polling agents while other candidates including the Member of Parliament for Nkulumane Mr Thamsanqa Mahlangu, Ms Dorcas Sibanda (Bulawayo Central), Ms Tabitha Khumalo (Bulawayo East) and Mpopoma-Pelandaba MP, Mr Bekithemba Nyathi ended up not fielding the required number of polling agents.
Mr Lozi Mpofu of Cheda and Partners Legal Practitioners is representing Ndlovu.
Source - chronicle
