A self-proclaimed interim leader of the MDC (green) led by Professor Welshman Ncube says suspensions imposed last week on four senior party members have no effect as the said disciplinary committee chairperson was no longer a member of the party.
Last week, Faruoh Jele the party’s national disciplinary committee chairperson said the four officials violated the party’s constitution.
The suspended are Christopher Monera (secretary for policy and research), Shipikai Mandaza (vice-chairperson), Munhangu Musevenzo (secretary for training and political education) and Gift Kurupati (national council member).
In a statement, interim leader Shipikai Mandaza said Jele together with party President Prof. Ncube had ceased to be party members after they joined the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa.
“Categorically and unequivocally I put it on record that the so called suspension from MDC (green) by one Farauh Jele, purporting to represent the MDC Disciplinary Committee is thus of no force or effect. Jele is not a member of the MDC (green), he is just but a defector from it so he has no business in the affairs of our party.
“Our former President Prof. Welshman Ncube, DP Edwin Mushoriwa, 4 other senior members and all the others who joined the MDCT Party self-expelled themselves from their former party, MDC (green), by operation of the MDC Constitution. There is no 2019 National Council resolution to integrate MDC with factions of MDC T and/ PDP,” said Mandaza
He added “Fast track the developments, the 2018 Congress held in Gweru turned out to be an MDC T 5th Congress contrary to what we had been told that it was an Alliance Congress.
“At this Congress it was particularly made clear that Prof Ncube had been readmitted into MDC T and a handful of his colleagues from MDC (green) decided to join him and started involving themselves in purely MDC T internal fights, but the majority of us decided to stay out and let MDC T resolve their leadership issues and wait to then work with whoever would emerge as the leader.
“Getting back to our party, Prof Ncube and friends unilaterally declared that they would NOT allow a National Council sitting, and had their colleagues make a concerted war path, attacking any and all who were against his and his accomplices’ new Alliance. Anyone who dare gave a different opinion was labelled a renegade, sell-out, puppet of ZANU PF, but members have been discussing these malicious accusations in MDC chat groups in order to find a way forward.”
Jele, Mandaza said, unconstitutionally and hastily set a Disciplinary Committee with a primary mission to suspend the leaders in the party MDC who were exercising their constitutional right to defend the MDC party.
