Mangoma approaches High Court to thwart expulsion from MDC-T

A legal team representing the former energy minister, Elton Mangoma, filed an urgent application with the High Court to stop his expulsion from the party.

The legal team also wants to stop the party National Council from discussing Mangoma at its meeting planned today.

Mangoma's lawyer Jacob Mafume, who is also an MDC-T member, said they are filing an urgent chamber application to stop the party from discussing anything to do with Mangoma in the national council meeting.

"We are filing an urgent court application at 2pm today (yesterday) so that the Mangoma issue can be removed from tomorrow's agenda because my client has not been given the right to be heard," Mafume said.

"What is clear is that Tsvangirai is violating the party constitution which prescribes to freedom of speech and ideas.

"We have dealt with issues where members were expelled but only after following the right procedures. Councillors who were dismissed from the party were investigated, charged and had their case brought before the national council which made a final decision to expel them. This is the same procedure that should be followed in dealing with Mangoma and not to rush for a national council decision before carrying out an investigation," said Mafume.

MDC-T sources said Tsvangirai was vigorously pushing for Mangoma's expulsion for stating in a letter to him that there was need for leadership renewal following the party's disputed drubbing in the July 31 general elections controversially won by President Robert Mugabe and his party Zanu PF.

"Tsvangirai wants to use the National Council meeting (today) to discipline or expel Mangoma from the party, a move that is unconstitutional," said a highly-placed source in the MDC-T.

"Once two thirds of the members of the national council agree to Tsvangirai's proposal Mangoma will be officially suspended pending a disciplinary hearing or expelled," he said.