News / National
Confusion rocks Tsvangirai hearing
19 Jun 2014 at 12:32hrs | Views
Confusion reigned supreme Wednesday over the supposed hearing by a tribunal into the ‘suspension' of former prime minister and MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai from the opposition party.
Tsvangirai, battling internecine revolt within his 15-year-old movement, was stripped of his powers along with six other top leaders by a national council meeting convened by secretary-general Tendai Biti in April.
The former premier was due to appear before a tribunal yesterday accused of 17 transgressions, among them, instigating violence and divisions, failing to exercise executive power during his time as prime minister, making unilateral decision to join Zanu-PF in the coalition government in 2009 and participation in the elections last year "despite a national council resolution to the contrary".
While Tsvangirai's spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka yesterday said "no summons were received and even then he was never going to attend a kangaroo court", party spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said the opposition leader "might have attended".
In an interview with The Zimbabwe Mail last night, Mwonzora said Tsvangirai would have made a decision on whether to attend or not based on the nature of the charges preferred against him.
"The fact is neither the party nor the president (Tsvangirai)'s office received the charge sheet or the summons and that makes it difficult to take a position," said Mwonzora. "If we had seen the summons and charges, the president would have elected either to attend or to stay away."
Quizzed on whether Tsvangirai would have attended if he had seen the charge sheet and studied it, Mwonzora said there was a chance the former premier would have attended.
"Yes, he would have attended, even if it was just to inform the tribunal that it did not have power to summon another party's president. These people have formed their own party which is very different from the MDC, our president would also have chosen not to appear before the tribunal altogether," said Mwonzora.
Jacob Mafume, the spokesperson of the MDC-Renewal group, yesterday said the tribunal "is sitting as we speak" and would communicate its decision at a later date.
"The tribunal is deliberating on the matter as we speak and will determine whether the reasons proffered by Tsvangirai for not attending are valid enough," said Mafume.
To add to the confusion, Mafume confirmed that Tsvangirai did not receive the summons.
"Our messengers who had gone to deliver the summons were chased away from Harvest House by activists, as has become their violent norm. Mwonzora called yesterday (Tuesday) to say they could not attend because they had not been given the summons hence they had not had time to study the charges," said Mafume.
He added: "We may be forced to use a courier service or the Messenger of Court to serve the summons on him if needs be or if the tribunal so decides."
Tsvangirai and six other leaders were suspended from the MDC-T at a national council meeting convened by Biti following months of heckling and mud-slinging that followed his humiliating loss to President Robert Mugabe in harmonised elections last year.
Hawks within the party turned on Tsvangirai after the loss and called on him to step-down to pave way for an elective congress and new leadership.
Matters came to a head in January after deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma wrote a letter chronicling Tsvangirai's failures in what the former Energy minister said were "resulting in diminishing returns and eating into his and the party's legacy".
The veteran trade unionist refused to leave power, but instead turned on the party grassroots for support. One such meeting turned nasty resulting in a violent attack on Mangoma and other leaders perceived to be anti-Tsvangirai.
In the ensuing melee, Mangoma was suspended in February, but was immediately joined by Biti in accusing Tsvangirai of autocratic tendencies and usurping the party constitution. The duo, with the support of other "renewal" agitators in the MDC-T, intensified calls for change of leadership.
Biti then organised a national council meeting that stripped Tsvangirai of his powers along with deputy president Thokozani Khupe, national chairperson Lovemore Moyo, his deputy Morgen Komichi, organising secretary Nelson Chamisa, Mwonzora and deputy organiser Abednico Bhebhe.
Tsvangirai at the time, however, scoffed at the suspension describing it as a gathering that did not have power or jurisdiction to suspend anyone and in turn expelled Biti and Mangoma.
Tsvangirai, battling internecine revolt within his 15-year-old movement, was stripped of his powers along with six other top leaders by a national council meeting convened by secretary-general Tendai Biti in April.
The former premier was due to appear before a tribunal yesterday accused of 17 transgressions, among them, instigating violence and divisions, failing to exercise executive power during his time as prime minister, making unilateral decision to join Zanu-PF in the coalition government in 2009 and participation in the elections last year "despite a national council resolution to the contrary".
While Tsvangirai's spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka yesterday said "no summons were received and even then he was never going to attend a kangaroo court", party spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said the opposition leader "might have attended".
In an interview with The Zimbabwe Mail last night, Mwonzora said Tsvangirai would have made a decision on whether to attend or not based on the nature of the charges preferred against him.
"The fact is neither the party nor the president (Tsvangirai)'s office received the charge sheet or the summons and that makes it difficult to take a position," said Mwonzora. "If we had seen the summons and charges, the president would have elected either to attend or to stay away."
Quizzed on whether Tsvangirai would have attended if he had seen the charge sheet and studied it, Mwonzora said there was a chance the former premier would have attended.
"Yes, he would have attended, even if it was just to inform the tribunal that it did not have power to summon another party's president. These people have formed their own party which is very different from the MDC, our president would also have chosen not to appear before the tribunal altogether," said Mwonzora.
Jacob Mafume, the spokesperson of the MDC-Renewal group, yesterday said the tribunal "is sitting as we speak" and would communicate its decision at a later date.
"The tribunal is deliberating on the matter as we speak and will determine whether the reasons proffered by Tsvangirai for not attending are valid enough," said Mafume.
"Our messengers who had gone to deliver the summons were chased away from Harvest House by activists, as has become their violent norm. Mwonzora called yesterday (Tuesday) to say they could not attend because they had not been given the summons hence they had not had time to study the charges," said Mafume.
He added: "We may be forced to use a courier service or the Messenger of Court to serve the summons on him if needs be or if the tribunal so decides."
Tsvangirai and six other leaders were suspended from the MDC-T at a national council meeting convened by Biti following months of heckling and mud-slinging that followed his humiliating loss to President Robert Mugabe in harmonised elections last year.
Hawks within the party turned on Tsvangirai after the loss and called on him to step-down to pave way for an elective congress and new leadership.
Matters came to a head in January after deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma wrote a letter chronicling Tsvangirai's failures in what the former Energy minister said were "resulting in diminishing returns and eating into his and the party's legacy".
The veteran trade unionist refused to leave power, but instead turned on the party grassroots for support. One such meeting turned nasty resulting in a violent attack on Mangoma and other leaders perceived to be anti-Tsvangirai.
In the ensuing melee, Mangoma was suspended in February, but was immediately joined by Biti in accusing Tsvangirai of autocratic tendencies and usurping the party constitution. The duo, with the support of other "renewal" agitators in the MDC-T, intensified calls for change of leadership.
Biti then organised a national council meeting that stripped Tsvangirai of his powers along with deputy president Thokozani Khupe, national chairperson Lovemore Moyo, his deputy Morgen Komichi, organising secretary Nelson Chamisa, Mwonzora and deputy organiser Abednico Bhebhe.
Tsvangirai at the time, however, scoffed at the suspension describing it as a gathering that did not have power or jurisdiction to suspend anyone and in turn expelled Biti and Mangoma.
Source - Zim Mail
