News / National
Tsvangirai's MDC-T headed for a split
08 Mar 2014 at 13:18hrs | Views
The opposition MDC-T was Friday teetering on the verge of implosion after an earlier decision to suspend party deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma was declared illegal by secretary-general Tendai Biti.
Party information chief Douglas Mwonzora told journalists that the MDC-T's top brass had gone through three marathon meetings starting with the one on standing committee, then followed by the national executive, and culminating in the national council before deciding to suspend Mangoma on bribery and factionalism allegations.
"The MDC national council met and recommended that disciplinary action be taken against the party's deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma. A unanimous decision by all of the MDC's 12 political provinces was taken that charges be preferred against him," Mwonzora told journalists at a press briefing.
Biti jumped to Mangoma's defence at a hastily arranged press conference at his law firm, declaring he had been saddened by the "unconstitutional manner in which people have connived to subvert the party constitution and founding values".
"We formed this party in order to be diametrically different and tangential to Zanu PF. It would be a sad day if the MDC-T were to mutate or morph to resemble anything akin to Zanu PF. The fight is now for the soul of the MDC-T and we need dialogue. It will not split, but there are efforts to chase out others," said Biti.
"The national executive received a report from chairman Lovemore Moyo after investigations into the allegation levelled against Mangoma. The decision was simple, that the national executive did not think the recommendation deserved to be escalated to the national council."
Biti's version, however, differed from Mwonzora's side of events, who said the decision to suspend Mangoma had been unanimous and the former Cabinet minister would now be hauled before an independent tribunal "consisting of three lawyers and headed by someone qualified to be a High Court judge".
"It is alleged that Mangoma intentionally put into the public domain contents of the letter he had written to the president (Morgan Tsvangirai) and conducting interviews with the press in clear violation of a national executive directive," Mwonzora charged. "He will also be charged for engaging in factionalism, bribing structures using party funds and canvassing in a way that goes beyond the boundaries of what is allowed by party rules."
He added that Mangoma was also guilty of granting interviews to the press undermining the party's structures.
Mangoma has been at the centre of a storm in the past two months after he wrote a damning letter demanding that Tsvangirai stepped-down and allow for an elective congress. Tsvangirai declined and turned to the party's grassroots for support in the process, calling for a meeting of the MDC-T 210 district chairpersons that turned ugly with a violent attack on Mangoma.
The former Energy minister laid down the gauntlet for a bruising battle with his boss after penning another letter in which he reminded Tsvangirai of his duty to protect the party's constitution.
"Since your receipt of the letter you have held a number of meetings where your attitude has been marked by belligerence and non-tolerance of views that are divergent to yours," Mangoma wrote. "You have stated clearly that you will not stand aside and accused me and others whom you have not named, of seeking to unseat you from the presidency unconstitutionally."
Biti said the composition of the national council that met yesterday was tainted by "unknown people and the suspension of other bonafide cadres".
"Some members of the national council such as Manicaland chairperson (Julius Magarangoma), the Matebeleland North executive, as well as some in Matebeleland South received suspension letters inside the national council, while some people who came to the meeting are unknown to us," said Biti.
He said Mangoma should, according to the party constitution, be accorded the right of reply if the charges were punitive.
"I am the chief clerk of the party and was supposed to draft those charges, but I did not. The national council, in order to make a binding decision, requires two thirds of the nominal figure which is around 230 persons. There were 82 of us, but the bigger crime is that we did not vote. People were asked according to province ‘how do you feel', some answered, while some remained quiet," Biti claimed.
Party information chief Douglas Mwonzora told journalists that the MDC-T's top brass had gone through three marathon meetings starting with the one on standing committee, then followed by the national executive, and culminating in the national council before deciding to suspend Mangoma on bribery and factionalism allegations.
"The MDC national council met and recommended that disciplinary action be taken against the party's deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma. A unanimous decision by all of the MDC's 12 political provinces was taken that charges be preferred against him," Mwonzora told journalists at a press briefing.
Biti jumped to Mangoma's defence at a hastily arranged press conference at his law firm, declaring he had been saddened by the "unconstitutional manner in which people have connived to subvert the party constitution and founding values".
"We formed this party in order to be diametrically different and tangential to Zanu PF. It would be a sad day if the MDC-T were to mutate or morph to resemble anything akin to Zanu PF. The fight is now for the soul of the MDC-T and we need dialogue. It will not split, but there are efforts to chase out others," said Biti.
"The national executive received a report from chairman Lovemore Moyo after investigations into the allegation levelled against Mangoma. The decision was simple, that the national executive did not think the recommendation deserved to be escalated to the national council."
Biti's version, however, differed from Mwonzora's side of events, who said the decision to suspend Mangoma had been unanimous and the former Cabinet minister would now be hauled before an independent tribunal "consisting of three lawyers and headed by someone qualified to be a High Court judge".
"It is alleged that Mangoma intentionally put into the public domain contents of the letter he had written to the president (Morgan Tsvangirai) and conducting interviews with the press in clear violation of a national executive directive," Mwonzora charged. "He will also be charged for engaging in factionalism, bribing structures using party funds and canvassing in a way that goes beyond the boundaries of what is allowed by party rules."
He added that Mangoma was also guilty of granting interviews to the press undermining the party's structures.
Mangoma has been at the centre of a storm in the past two months after he wrote a damning letter demanding that Tsvangirai stepped-down and allow for an elective congress. Tsvangirai declined and turned to the party's grassroots for support in the process, calling for a meeting of the MDC-T 210 district chairpersons that turned ugly with a violent attack on Mangoma.
The former Energy minister laid down the gauntlet for a bruising battle with his boss after penning another letter in which he reminded Tsvangirai of his duty to protect the party's constitution.
"Since your receipt of the letter you have held a number of meetings where your attitude has been marked by belligerence and non-tolerance of views that are divergent to yours," Mangoma wrote. "You have stated clearly that you will not stand aside and accused me and others whom you have not named, of seeking to unseat you from the presidency unconstitutionally."
Biti said the composition of the national council that met yesterday was tainted by "unknown people and the suspension of other bonafide cadres".
"Some members of the national council such as Manicaland chairperson (Julius Magarangoma), the Matebeleland North executive, as well as some in Matebeleland South received suspension letters inside the national council, while some people who came to the meeting are unknown to us," said Biti.
He said Mangoma should, according to the party constitution, be accorded the right of reply if the charges were punitive.
"I am the chief clerk of the party and was supposed to draft those charges, but I did not. The national council, in order to make a binding decision, requires two thirds of the nominal figure which is around 230 persons. There were 82 of us, but the bigger crime is that we did not vote. People were asked according to province ‘how do you feel', some answered, while some remained quiet," Biti claimed.
Source - zimmail
