MDC leader Nelson Chamisa’s bid to succeed the party’s founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai is in jeopardy after a rival camp approached the High Court seeking to stop the forthcoming congress, citing alleged irregularities in the ongoing nominations.
Chamisa has been nominated by all the six provinces that have held their congresses so far, eclipsing his rivals Douglas Mwonzora and Elias Mudzuri, who are yet to get any nominations for the top post. MDC has 13 provincial structures.
The opposition party’s 2018 presidential candidate has already been nominated by Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, Midlands, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central and North America. Mashonaland Central was voting last night.
Chamisa’s allies have also picked nominations for influential posts to be contested at the May 24 to 26 congress.
However, the former Kuwadzana MP’s surge could be halted if the urgent High Court application by a Gokwe-based MDC official Elias Mashavire to stop the congress succeeds.
Mashavire, who is believed to be a member of a rival camp seeking to stop Chamisa’s ascendanc,y filed the court application on Friday.
He argued that the party’s interim leader has no powers to call for an ordinary congress before the MDC holds an extra-ordinary congress to confirm him as the leader.
Chamisa is the first respondent in the case while vice-presidents Morgan Komichi and Elias Mudzuri, secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora and organising secretary Amos Chibaya have also been cited.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general Japhet Moyo is cited as the seventh respondent in the court application under case number HC8697/18.
“The determination of the above application many have the effect of nullifying any actions led and or presided over by the second respondent, Nelson Chamisa,” reads part of the application.
“Further, the determination of that application may also have the effect of compelling the first respondent to convene an extra-ordinary congress as opposed to the ordinary congress that has already begun.”
On September 24 last year, Mashavire approached the High Court seeking a declaration that Chamisa was not the party’s legitimate leader as he had not been endorsed by an extra-ordinary congress.
-The Standard