Analysts lament the decay of ethics in the MDC-T and the pursuit of self-advancement.
Political analysts have expressed dismay over the MDC-T’s one day extra ordinary congress, complaining that it reflected sharply deteriorating ‘cadreship’ throughout the party.
Warship Dumba, a former City of Harare councilor and now the spokesperson of Defending Morgan Tsvangirai Legacy pressure group, said he felt ‘shocked’ and ‘betrayed’ by the MDC-T Extra Ordinary Congress, where non delegates voted and violence was meted upon dissenting voices.
“The congress was a shameful event where non-members of the party were bussed and brought in to vote as delegates of 2014. We wouldn’t like to bless any election where members were beaten with others hospitalized all in the name of one candidate.”
“We cannot say principle is below the party because lack of democratic principles by Zanu led to the formation of MDC. If we accept rigged elections within our party, saying the party must move on then we have no moral standing to slam ZANU for rigging elections,” said Dumba.
Dumba further teared into Douglas Mwonzora, accusing him of abusing party funds.
“If Mr Mwonzora abused political parties finance while secretary general of the party, what more when he is President?” said the militant Dumba.
Echoing Dumba’s disenchantment was Agrippa Gumbo, an independent analyst. Gumbo described Mwonzora as someone who is driving an agenda of self-advancement.
“We all thought that in 2018 he would abide by the constitution, condemn violence and discourage Adv Chamisa’s unconstitutional rise to power but alas Mwonzora summersaulted and endorsed Adv Nelson Chamisa. He left Dr Khupe alone to fight Chamisa’s power grab,” said Gumbo.
“Mwonzora and Chamisa jointly took Dr Khupe to court seeking an order barring her from using the MDC-T name and enjoying full rights associated with the MDC-T name. We know that they lost that case at the High Court and they unsuccessfully appealed to the Supreme Court. For Mwonzora to claim that he is a constitutionalist is very opportunistic. The fight for constitutionalism and for the return of MDC-T was spearheaded by Dr Khupe.
“Building on inroads made by Dr Khupe, Mashavira took the matter to court in 2018 and the judgement was handed down in May 2019. It is shocking that in 2019 Mwonzora went on to attend the MDC-Alliance’s Gweru congress regardless of the fact that there was judgement which had nullified Chamisa’s rise to power .He undermined the Mushore judgement because of his thirst for power,” he said.
Said Gumbo: “Chamisa appealed the Mushore judgement and it is surprising that Mwonzora never featured in any way in defence of the judgement. In fact before the Supreme Court hearing, Mwonzora was offered money and then he withdrew from the Mashavira case in broad daylight leaving Dr Khupe as the only respondent.
Now, if Dr Khupe had also withdrawn from the case, the matter would have been moot and academic .There wouldn’t be the much talked about Supreme Court judgement. Mwonzora is a hypocrite who is power hungry and his love for power is beyond measure.
Thus why you will realise that Mwonzora resorted to violence and chicanery after realising that he had no support in the 2014 structures. The MDC-T has now been hijacked by hooligans and anarcho-syndicalists who masquerade as constitutionalists. Members of the MDC-T must be worried about the path that the party needs to traverse in the current epoch of the struggle.”
The MDC-T held its much awaited extra ordinary congress on the 27th of December last year. The event was characterised by chaotic scenes mainly fuelled by a disputed voters roll. Analysts have described the congress as a festival of insults and violence.
