Terrence Mawawa
MDC Deputy Treasurer General Charlton Hwende has described ousted vice president Thokozani Khupe as a daydreamer.
Below is Hwende’ s statement:
The purported MDC-T Congress held today(yesterday) by the expelled former MDC vice president Thokozani Khupe has demonstrated that whilst Khupe talks about Constitutionalism daily she has today willingly to violated every clause in the MDC T Constitution in a futile attempt to install herself as the party president.
The so called Congress was not properly convened as provided for and the National Council did not meet to either authorize the Congress or approve the agenda.
Hundreds of people were bussed from Harare, Masvingo and Bulawayo and were given free T shirts and money to pose as Congress Delegates.
As a result some of the people elected into her Standing Committee are not even members of the MDC-T.
It is abundantly clear that Khupe and Group have formed a new party.
The party constitution clearly spells out who attends our congress.
Article 6.2 The Congress
6.2.1 The Congress shall be the supreme organ of the Party and shall be composed as follows:
(a)All members of the National Council, (b) All members of the National Executive of Women; (c) All members of the National Executive of Youth and 30 members of the Students’ Council. (d) All members of the Provincial Executive Committee. (e) The Chairperson, Secretary, Organising Secretary and Treasurer from each District Executive Committee, (f)The Chairperson, Secretary , Treasurer and Organising Secretary at Provincial and District levels of the National Assemblies of Women and Youth. (g) The Chairperson of each Ward Executive Committee. (h) All the party’s elected members of the House of Assembly , Mayors and Chairperson of each Ward Executive Committee.
These are the people and structures required to attend a congress in terms of our constitution.
Another violation of the Constitution was in convening the so Called Congress
6.2.5 An extra-ordinary Congress may be called:
(a) By a simple majority vote of the National Council or two thirds of the National Executive which vote shall be conducted by a secret ballot. The National Council or National Executive never met simply because the Khupe group controls less than 3% of the members (b) Upon the written request received from at least one-third of the members entitled to attend the Congress submitted to the Secretary- General No Such request was ever received by the SG or his Deputy. The SG was in Kotwa today addressing a rally on behalf of President Chamisa (c)Upon the written request received from at least two-thirds of the Provincial Councils submitted to the Secretary-General Again no request was received because Khupe has no control of a single Province including the Bulawayo Provincial Executive Council led by Chairman Banda
6.2.6 A notice convening an Extra-Ordinary Congress Shall be sent to all members entitled to attend and to each branch by the National Council at least one month before the date of the meeting. No such Notice was ever received by any of the bona Fide Congress Delegates
6.2.7 The quorum of the Congress shall be two-thirds of the members entitled to attend, provided that if one hour after the stipulated time for commencement a quorum is not reached, the meeting will proceed subject to decisions thereat being approved by an Extra-Ordinary Congress called by the National Council six months of the date of the inqourate Congress. Clearly there was no Quorum even of the bussed non MDC Members as clearly less than 1000 people were in attendance. The MDC Congress Full Complement is 5400 Delegates
Chalton Hwende
MDC Deputy Treasurer General