Source: MDC-T members sue Tsvangirai – NewsDay Zimbabwe July 22, 2016
TWO ordinary MDC-T members have taken their party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, to court challenging his recent appointment of Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri as co-vice-presidents.
BY OBEY MANAYITI
The two, Patson Murimoga and George Rice, through their lawyers from Mugiya and Macharaga Law Chambers, approached the High Court yesterday and sued Tsvangirai, Chamisa, Mudzuri, national chairman Lovemore Moyo and the party under case number 7453/16, claiming the appointments contravened the party’s constitution.
In their draft order, the activists want the appointments declared null and void.
Tsvangirai last week appointed Chamisa and Mudzuri as his deputies alongside Thokozani Khupe, saying they would help him execute his duties. The MDC-T leader claimed he arrived at the decision following wide consultations with the party’s national executive committee and national council.
Murimoga, a known Tsvangirai praise singer who has composed jingles used during election campaigns, said due process was not followed.
The two insisted that the party constitution stipulates that a deputy president can only be elected directly at congress after having been nominated by the provinces.
They argued that both the national council and the national standing committee were not elective forums, hence Chamisa and Mudzuri’s appointments were illegal.
“For 1st respondent (Tsvangirai) to violate the constitution of 5th respondent (MDC) he should be protecting, smacks of double standards in that he preaches and teaches what he does not practice,” the application read.
“The position and decision of the 1st respondent (Tsvangirai) of violating the 5th respondent’s (MDC) constitution portrays him as a person who cannot be trusted in handling and protecting the National Constitution where he would be wielding much State power.
“If the 1st respondent (Tsvangirai) can abuse a political party constitution, one shudders to imagine the extent to which he can go to abuse National Constitution if he is elected President of Zimbabwe.”
Murimoga served as campaign manager for the party’s secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora at the MDC-T 2014 congress, where Chamisa lost by a wide margin.
COMMENTS
well done save for your recent move we are behind you
With the enemy on his knees this is the time to get stronger and defeat the enemy but how can you do that if you waste time bickering about stupid staff like positions , drop all personal vendatters if you are really serious :