Word is abound in the corridors of power that the unconcealed violent and chaotic ascendancy of Douglas Mwonzora, to the leadership dominion of the smaller faction of the opposition MDC, going by the name MDC-T was backed and sanctioned by the ruling ZANU PF.
One may be tempted to ask as to what interest, would ZANU PF, have in a manifestly small faction of the MDC with no prospects whatsoever of influencing the 2020 general election either way?
The theory goes like this, the calculus of the powers that be was that the coalition of Dr Khupe and Mwonzora delivered a fatal blow to Chamisa in the 2014 MDC-T congress which landed Mwonzora the much converted Secretary General position of the Party. This did not happen in the MDC Alliance at their illegal 2019 Congress in Gweru largely due to the lack of the Khupe factor in the political matrix. Mwonzora fell dismally due to the lack of support from his longtime ally who was not in the Alliance set up proving that a divided smaller MDC benefits Nelson Chamisa.
The 27 December 2020,violent orgy, kitted out as the Supreme Court ordered “Extra Ordinary Congress” was therefore meant to replicate that coalition again but this time with Mwonzora, leading the Coalition, except that the same Mwonzora didn’t get the memo or he is too vacuous beyond apprehension.
Mwonzora went on to employ violence, vulgar and chicanery (which is against the MDC values and principles) against all his opponents but multiplied his violence and bigotry a hundred fold in particular against Dr Khupe, thereby rendering the whole “calculus” dead on arrival. The violence and obscenities by Mwonzora guaranteed that they can never be a functional relationship between the two and by implication their respective followers.
Of more importance, is what Mwonzora didn’t mean to do, he never meant to launder Chamisa, but laundering him he did and at the same time vandalised the platform of constitutionalism, democracy and steadfastness to the rule of law, to which the Phugens, of this world had employed with such cleverness and eloquence to the detriment of Chamisa and his group.
It is difficult to understand how Mwonzora, (self-acclaimed “top lawyer”) couldn’t see that violence and blatant rigging of that EOC will endlessly take away, not only his legitimacy but something more important, it will clean up Chamisa’s image and destroy the moral high ground platform which his Party had exclusively enjoyed hitherto.
In recognition of this fatal mistake by Mwonzora, the “powers that be” deployed Professor Madhuku, in a desperate attempt to mop up after Mwonzora’s violent orgy was threatening his illegitimate coronation since Dr Khupe was claiming that she had legally stopped the EOC when it became clear that it was too violent and fraudulent to meet the basic standard of a bona fide EOC. At least he should have done something better than Chamisa alas, it shows he is worse off.
Professor Madhuku, could “walk water on water” so to speak, the man had become a legal demigod of some sort. In a period of two years (2018-2020) at least everyone in MDC was just impressed with the way he carried himself around and the impartiality with which he approached his legal work to an extent that even some hardcore followers of Nelson Chamisa believed that he had not followed the constitution. There is no evidence that professor Madhuku comprised himself in exchange for money or regionalism, however even a blind person could see that the so called legal opinion was so narrow in scope and it conveniently ignored glaring material factors which rendered that violent gathering untenable.
Surely the good professor knows that the justices of the Supreme Court found that “There could be no doubt that the second appellant (Nelson Chamisa) and his lieutenants are in de facto and effective control of the Party. There is nothing to suggest that the situation will not continue for some time or that the second appellant is likely to be eclipsed and supplanted as the leader of the Party in the foreseeable future” and yet they went on to rule against Chamisa and his group in a case they had found to be academic and moot.
The question which inevitable arise is “what mischief did the Supreme Court want to heal?’’ The answer is all too familiar to the professor the justices said “It is not inconceivable, given the vagaries and vicissitudes of political fortune, that it (MDC-T) might someday be electorally elevated to become the ruling party in Zimbabwe. As I have noted earlier, Article 3 of the Party (MDC-T) Constitution enshrines its status as “a Social Democratic Party whose core values shall be solidarity, justice, equality, liberty, freedom, transparency, humble and obedient leadership and accountability” These core values of the Party, if they are not to be reduced to merely hollow rhetoric, necessarily implicate the principles of good and adherence to the leadership requirements embodied in the constitution.”
In laymen terms, the Supreme Court removed Chamisa from the leadership of the MDC-T because his ascendancy was not in keeping or a reflection of the MDC-T values and principles that is the “mischief the Court wanted to heal.”
For whatever consideration but clearly not in the interest of the MDC-T, Democracy and /or Justice the good professor ratified Monzora’s violent orgy, like Mugabe in the 2008 presidential runoff election, Mwonzora was allowed to run alone having violently pushed away all his competitors, counted his own votes, declared himself a winner and now has practically suspended the MDC-T constitution aided and abetted by the dual, unqualified support of the Party’s top lawyer professor Madhuku and ZANU PF.
Mwonzora has gone on to usurp the powers of Congress and purportedly appointed a 2nd Vice President, in clear violation and disregard of the Supreme Court judgement of 31 March 2020.
As if that was not enough, he further purportedly appointed Giles Muswekwa, Deputy National Chairperson, Dr Mashakada, Treasure General and Witness Dube, National Secretary for Information and Publicity against the MDC-T constitution which reads; ‘’9.1.4 The President shall, with the exception of Deputy President and Deputy Chairperson, appoint deputies to officers of Congress from a pool of National Executive members elected from provinces and other office bears where such is provided in the Constitution.’’ From the above it is self-evident why the purported appointments of the so called 2nd VP and Deputy Chair are an affront to the rule of law.
Whereas Dr Mashakada is a bona fide NEC Member he could not be appointed to any position other than Deputy Treasure also considering that the Acting Treasure (Chief Ndlovu) was dully appointed Deputy Treasure and assumed the Acting Treasure General Position in line with the MDC-T Constitution.
As for Witness Dube, you couldn’t have a more blatant case of abuse of office than this. Dube was employed as a driver, drawing a salary from the Party until the EOC and therefore didn’t qualify to be in any leadership positions certainly not at a Standing Committee level.
These are just but few examples of the sustained assault against the MDC-T Constitution by Mwonzora and his group in just one month.
As someone in his own Party already opined, “Mwonzora is not fit to run a burial society” because bodies will be lying all over after misappropriating all the funds. (My emphasis.) His denials that he stole the RTSG 300 thousand and RTSG 6Million, before the violent gathering of 27/12/20 are as believable as the denials by Lwazi Sibanda that the Marry in her chats was Mwonzora after she had spent over 20mins substituting the same Marry for Mwonzora.
Chamisa is well advised by not interjecting himself in the debate (never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.) Mwonzora has surrounded himself with political novices who behave like kids at candy store, Mwonzora’s MDC-T is up in flames. He can never put up a coalition worthy to even win a Ward, never mind a Seat in Parliament. all Chamisa has to do is to harness the disgruntlement of Dr Khupe, Morgan Komichi, Ellias Mudzuri, Chief Ndlovu and Khaliphile Phungeni and their followers and in 2023 he will be the President of Zimbabwe..
Ruben Williams.
