Correspondent|MDC vice president Elias Mudzuri says he believes Chamisa’s strategy to challenge President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s legitimacy is ill-advised as their election dispute was resolved by the Constitutional Court in August last year.
“It’s not possible, under the constitution of Zimbabwe, to resolve an election dispute that was heard and settled by the Constitutional Court. I believe the decision arrived at was final, and that there is no other legal remedy,” Mudzuri said in an interview published by the Standard.
Mudzuri accused party leader Nelson Chamisa of not following the party constitution following the death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai in February 2018.
“What is now missing in the (MDC) leadership are enough leaders who are prepared to protect and uphold the people’s leadership manual as laid down in the MDC constitution. Some of our leaders are now more preoccupied with getting positions of influence and privilege in the party and government while breaking the people’s charter at the same time. Such a scenario, if not addressed quickly, will always lead into disputes.
“Splits are a natural product of irreconcilable disputes within an organisation, and the MDC Alliance is not exempt. The only way to avoid such splits from happening is for leaders to follow the constitution, and for the people, through their leaders, to speak out when they notice a problem.
“The concerns I raised had much to do with party members as they had with ordinary supporters. There was a worrying rise in unhealthy discourse in public domains like social media, which might have been wittingly or unwittingly sparked by some senior members of our party who should probably have known better.”
The former Harare mayor also expressed unhappiness over the way Chamisa handled affairs after Tsvangirai’s death.
“(After Tsvangirai’s death) I felt a little frustrated when the constitution was not being followed. When the late Morgan Tsvangirai left for South Africa on his last journey (may his soul rest in peace), he appointed me in front of other standing committee
members to act on his behalf as president of the party until he returned.
“When he passed on, after all burial proceedings were done with, I enquired from the party’s organs between congress about the best route to take for the party in view of the fact that VP Chamisa was claiming to have also been appointed acting president by the late president via a tweet.
“On realising that a leadership dispute would negatively affect our party, elections were very near, I talked with Dr (Thokozani) Khupe, who had been elected VP from our last congress, to take over the reins of the party and to call for an extraordinary congress that would choose president Tsvangirai’s successor.
“The constitution was very clear on what should happen when a president dies or resigns from office, but things didn’t go according to plan. There was a general attack and purging of some senior party members by some unruly members of the party. Some of the attackers were rumoured to be from outside the party.
“In politics you go through bumpy rides and this was not the first one. I experienced persecution and violence at the hands of (the former president Robert) Mugabe including an attack at my home. It gave me greater strength and resolve to fight for what I believe is right.
“In fighting for what is right, you are never isolated or alone, there are always others right there with you and urging you on. My visit to State House was a constitutional obligation according to the standing rules of Parliament. There was nothing unusual about that visit since my visit was above board. The event was national, it was not a Zanu PF event,” Mudzuri said.
He however described his relationship with party president Nelson Chamisa as “cordial”. He said it was commendable that Chamisa has said one of the vice presidency positions must be given to a woman.
On whether he will challenge Chamisa at congress, Mudzuri said: “If nominated to stand for my party, I am more than ready to serve my party and my country. I am also ready to unite the party. it’s a task that our late icon Morgan Richard Tsvangirai left me when we met for the last time at hospital in South Africa.
“I have said this before and you have given reason for me to repeat it! I will make a public statement at the right time. There are processes that must be observed and followed. I don’t know which position I’ll be nominated for, so I, like everyone else, will have to wait for the nomination process.”
Mudzuri was quick to point out that what was due in the MDC is an extraordinary congress where only the presidency is vacant, as no congress was ever held following Tsvangirai’s death. He says the main Congress must have been held in October this year.
“What is overdue in MDC is an extraordinary congress to elect our late president Tsvangirai’s successor. Our ordinary five-year congress is due in October this year, not in May. All structures from the last congress in 2014 are expected to run office until October. Congress delegates from the 2014 structures are the ones who are expected to elect a substantive successor for the late president Tsvangirai at an extraordinary congress.”
The MDC will hold its Congress on 24 May, running up to the 26th. Besides Mudzuri, party secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora is expected to also challenge Chamisa.