Opposition MDC-T national standing committee and national council members have been challenged to stand up and reject their president, Douglas Mwonzora’s recent appointment of Elias Mudzuri as one of his deputies.
Andrew Chaponda, the MDC-T USA secretary said the appointment of Mudzuri as vice president was illegal as it violated the MDC-T’s constitution and should not go unchallenged.
Mwonzora recently appointed Mudzuri as second vice president and former interim president Thokozani Khupe as first vice president.
The same mistake was made by the party’s founding leader , Morgan Tsvangiral in his last days at the helm when he appointed Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri as the vice presidents together with the substantive deputy, Thokozani Khupe.
The effects of the decision was witnessed by the formation of MDC Alliance of Nelson Chamisa and the MDC-T which was initially dogged by Mwonzora, Mudzuri and Komichi for Alliance and later came back to battle for its interim presidency.
However, Chaponda argues Mudzuri’s appointment was illegal.
“No one in the MDC-T has the legal powers to appoint a vice president outside the constitution which is a congress,” said Chaponda.
“Reports that the standing committee agreed to some expedient, illegal desecration of our constitution by endorsing the appointment of certain individuals to electable party positions, are as unfortunate as they are illegal.
“The announcement is a clear and presents a danger to the democratic and constitutional process in the party. It must be stopped by all legal means necessary.”
He added: “Douglas Mwonzora, who is a lawyer, whose close advisors are also lawyers and has the singular distinction of co-chairing COPAC (Constitution Parliamentary Committee) that wrote the current constitution of Zimbabwe, he cannot be ignorant of the law and constitution of the MDC-T.
“The question is why he is disregarding the Supreme Court’s steaming hot judgment? It boggles the mind why Engineer Elias Mudzuri would allow himself to be duped, not once but twice to break the party constitution.”
In a Supreme Court ruling passed last March, the judges said the earlier appointment of Mudzuri and Nelson Chamisa in 2016 as MDC-T co-vice presidents by the now late MDC-T President Morgan Tsvangirai was unconstitutional.
Chamisa is now the president of the MDC Alliance.
“Mwonzora must be under some illusion that we have short memories and that he is the messiah we all have been waiting for and the time to throw away the constitution, values, ethos and principles of our party has arrived,” he said.
“All party appointments and reassignments so far made or being contemplated including at Parliament are a violation of the constitution. The MDC-T respects the rule of law, integrity and fair play. MDC-T stands for zero corruption.
“The MDC-T abhors those who violate the constitution, are corrupt, disregard or willfully go against court rulings. Such cannot be entrusted with leadership. They are a danger to the rule of law and a drain on public confidence.“
Credit: New Zimbabwe