Welshman Ncube-led MDC suspends 4 top party officials

Welshman Ncube-led Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has suspended four members of its highest decision-making body – the National Executive Council (NEC) over attending an unsanctioned meeting with the rival faction led by Douglas Mwonzora, CITE has established.

This comes at a time when political parties have begun positioning themselves for the impending 2023 polls.

The MDC contested the 2018 polls under the umbrella of the MDC Alliance together with Nelson Chamisa-led faction and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) then led by Tendai Biti.

However, since the March 31 Supreme Court ruling which nullified Chamisa's presidency of the MDCT and dismissal of the alliance as a political party, there have been clear divisions with the MDC Alliance with the emergence of the Mwonzora faction.

The Ncube-led MDC party members, who were issued with suspension letters yesterday are Shupikai Mandaza (Deputy National Chairperson), Christopher Monera (Secretary for Policy and Research), Munango Musevenzo and Gift Karupati (also members of the NEC).

"These four men have been suspended from the party for failure to abide by the party policy by attending an unsanctioned meeting with another political party," MDC Disciplinary Committee Chairperson, Faroah Zebron Jele, told CITE.

"They were seen attending a meeting with MDCT at Harvest House, so they have violated party policy. They have been suspended but they will be given an opportunity to appear before the disciplinary hearing."

Asked what had been the immediate response from the four, Jele had this to say: "Obviously when a cow has been stabbed, it will always make noise. Some are already making noise and trying to come up with unfounded cover-up stories. We, however, do not want to entertain that because we would be taking away their Constitutionally-guaranteed right to appear before a disciplinary hearing."

Jele said he was not privy to the contents of the meeting attended by the four a few days ago.

"However, by virtue of them attending, they were purporting to be our representatives when we had not sent them," he said.

"That alone is an offence. Maybe they will tell us what it was all about when they appear for the hearing. All we know is that they were seen attending that meeting. We have no relationship whatsoever with Mwonzora's party; we don't know them. They have never been our members and we have never been their members. We don't have anything in common."

One of the suspended members, Monera confirmed attending the meeting, which he said discussed the way forward on the MDC Alliance

He clearly said he recognises Mwonzora as the leader of the MDC-T and MDC Alliance of which his political party is part.

"By the way, Professor Ncube is the one who created that integration but by that time Chamisa was wrongfully leading the MDCT," he said.

"The only difference that there is today is that the High Court said, no, no Chamisa is not the legitimate leader. We cannot ignore our principal who happens to be Mwonzora.

He added: "In any case, we believe Ncube knows that he integrated us with MDC-T; that's a fact. The only problem is that the MDC-T was then led by Chamisa who then they said took that position through the back door. We have no problem; we don't interfere with internal fights of other partners