By A Correspondent | In what is certain to discredit the just ended MDC -T congress, there was drama early Monday when the winner MDC Senator Douglas Mwonzora rushed to thank the election management board instead of the voters who ‘chose him’ for leadership.
The development comes barely 4 hours after his nemesis Thokozani Khupe had declared that she has suspended Mwonzora.
While Mwonzora commenting, told ZimEye.com, Khupe does not have any powers to suspend him, top legal experts stated the opposite. Adv Thabani Mpofu pulled out section 9.1.2.3 which categorically states that: The President shall supervise all office bearers in the national leadership structures and may suspend, on reasonable grounds for breach of Party’s Constitution, rules and regulations, any member of the National Standing Committee.
“National Executive Committee. National Council pending investigations and disciplinary action: provided that after suspension of the member as aforesaid the President shall duly report to the National Executive Committee.”
Mwonzora was announced winner with over 883 votes with Khupe trailing behind with a paltry 118.
Speaking shortly after being announced the winner, Mwonzora literally opened his speech by thanking the election management board that handled the Congress for electing him, while omitting in his introduction the people who did the voting. He said, “the Chairperson of The Independent Election Management Board Mr Masvingo and your team, I would like to thank you FOR ELECTING ME, the substantive president to replace the irreplaceable Morgan Richard Tsvangirai”
DO YOU THINK IT WAS AN ERROR?
It could not be established at the time of writing if the statement was a result of a slip of the tongue or it was part of his prepared speech.
SPEECH ROLL (jumbled transcript)
A special tribute to my late predecessor Dr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai ….
The chairperson of The Independent election management board Mr Masvingo and your team, I would like to thank you for electing me the Substantive President to replace the irreplaceable Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.
try as we may we must appreciate that…
I will endeavour to do my best because I have learnt from him he was indeed the very best. A special tribute to my contestants Dr Thokozani Khupe, Elias Mudzuri ….
this was a contest it was not a fight it was a contest from members of one family…. I also understand the frustrations that come from a protracted campaign. I also understand the anxieties that accompany … And therefore I do understand the emotions that accompany and therefore I hope that when everyone has sobered up we will come back together as one family.
I want to say that the three leaders apart of my leadership plan; I have tremendous respect for doctor Thoko Khupe…
she did a lot of good work for this party and we must never forget that. I also want to have a special tribute to engineer Elias Mudzuri…. He was our organising secretary when we handed zanu-pf defeat in 2008.
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I want to fake and pay tribute to senator Morgan Komichi…
he is also brave and I think that he will still be valuable to this party I want to appeal to those who were supporting me to conquer with love…. you must know that this is a conquest the fact that we were in the same meal the fact that we succeeded over others does not make us any better MDC members than others.
I also want to appeal to those who were supporting the candidates who today did not succeed that this is not the end of the world you have tremendous responsibilities to discharge to the party you have tremendous duties to perform and you have right enshrined in the Constitution of our party….
this is the time to start a new politics to our party and Country we must get rid of the politics of hate the politics of violence the politics of hunger the politics of acrimony and replace with the policies of racial disputation and tolerance. It is the right time that are party stop the politics of mudslinging…
people hate people because they contested against them well today I want to break that jinx. I love those who contested against me…
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the first fundamental is that for you to get a leadership position be it the president down to the branch chairman you must be elected.
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Although you are president although you are secretary or there you are charming we must always have collective decision… We are going to have collective decisions.