Own Correspondent
Obert Gutu
Obert Gutu, a former spokesperson of the MDC, says that the takeover of Harvest House by Thokozani Khupe was a sign of worse things to come for MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa.
Speaking in an interview with State Media on Friday after police and the army assisted Khupe to take over the iconic opposition party offices, Gutu said the move could mean the end of Chamisa as an MDC leader.
“That building symbolises the very DNA of the MDC and of course, taking over occupation of that iconic building sends out a huge political statement to all and sundry.
“Grandstanding is not and has never been an effective political strategy. They can make all the noise that they want on social media but the cold, hard fact is that the train has already left the station.
“It is what it is. If they don’t want to comply with the Supreme Court judgment, then they will have no other option but to form a new political party with a new name and new symbols. It’s only a matter of time before they are lawfully stopped from using the name MDC should they continue to defy the Supreme Court judgment. Time will tell.
“It will take time for people to believe Chamisa. How can an advocate of law fail to read the line and comply with the Supreme Court judgment,” said Mr Gutu.
Gutu is a former member of Thokozani Khupe MDC-T where he was the party’s vice president.
Gutu resigned from the party on 18 January 2020 for what he said were “personal and private reasons.”
At the time of his resignation the Khupe MDC-T was a smaller party following its breakaway from the MDC led by Nelson Chamisa. At the MDC, Gutu had been National Spokeserson.
In April 2018, Gutu was elected Vice President of the MDC-T faction led by Thokozani Khupe at an Extra Ordinary Congress in Bulawayo.
Gutu is a former Deputy Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. Gutu formed Gutu and Chikowero Attorneys At Law. He was voted senator for Chisipite during the 2008 elections.
He contested in the 2018 elections for Member of Parliament for Harare East and lost to Tendai Biti who is the current Vice President to Nelson Chamisa.