MDC-T Congress rescheduled to 27 December

THE MDC-T led by interim president Thokozani Khupe has rescheduled its extraordinary congress to 27 December.

The elective congress to choose a new president to replace the late founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai was scheduled to this Saturday at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).

However, the event was cancelled due to sharp differences among the contesting candidates, Khupe, Douglas Mwonzora, Elias Mudzuri and Morgen Komichi.

Addressing the media Saturday afternoon, MDC-T acting spokesperson, Tapiwa Mashakada confirmed the embattled opposition party had resolved to postponed its congress to 27 December.

"Today (Saturday), we met pursuant to the decision we made yesterday (Friday) to postpone the congress. It has been agreed then that we fix a new date for the extraordinary congress," said Mashakada.

"It will be held on Sunday 27th December 2020. We hope that all logistical challenges would have been cleared."

Mashakada claimed the sticking issues that forced the party to postpone its congress were a shambolic voters' roll and other logistical challenges in bringing 4 500 delegates to the congress venue.

"This party is a big party. We want to have a credible voters' roll. At the moment the voters' roll is not in a form to be used. There are people who have joined the party, there are people who have left the party, all that needs to be cleared before we proceed."

Mashakada also exonerated interim secretary-general Mwonzora of embezzling party funds.

"The MDC-T would like to dismiss with the contempt it deserves, the malicious and baseless allegation peddled by our detractors to the effect that the MDC-T secretary-general mishandled or put to his own use sums of money in the amount of $300 000. The finance committee and the national standing committee carefully looked into the allegations and found no truth in those allegations," he said.