SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
MDC-T Youth Assembly secretary-general Promise Mkwananzi has described as a ‘nullity’ his expulsion from the party by a faction said to be aligned to Morgan Tsvangirai.
Mkwananzi was responding to media reports that he and MDC-T Youth Assembly chairperson Solomon Madzore have been fired for being sympathetic to a group calling for party President Tsvangirai to step down, to facilitate leadership renewal.
The decision to censure the two was taken at a meeting held Sunday, according to a statement issued Monday afternoon by the MDC-T Youth Assembly National Council.
“People are allowed to dream, let them dream on. I think they are underestimating the seriousness with which we take these positions and the party’s constitution.
“I am a member of the national executive of the party, Solomon Madzore is a member of the national standing committee, and so we can only be suspended by a two-thirds majority of the party’s national council,” Mkwananzi said.
The MDC-T youth leader said the individuals who purportedly took the decision to suspend the two had no authority to do so.
He said the only person who can convene a formal meeting of the youth assembly is Solomon Madzore, as youth assembly president, in consultation with the assembly secretary-general – who is Mkwananzi.
“Any meeting that happens outside that orbit is unconstitutional and violates the party’s rules and regulations. Anyone who calls such a meeting is out of order.”
Mkwananzi said the suspensions and expulsions that have taken place since February 15th are unconstitutional and unprocedural, and called on all MDC-T members to respect the constitution.
“Whoever is undertaking those processes must be warned very strongly. We know that those behind this are nursing their own ambitions which have nothing to do with building the party.”
“However let the people be assured that on our part, we will defend the party’s principles, values, and constitution with our lives.”
The firebrand youth leader attributed the current crisis in his party to the leadership’s failure to abide by the party’s constitution.
“We continue to challenge the leadership and Tsvangirai himself to exercise his authority and ensure that the party is brought back to order.
Tsvangirai issued a directive that all these suspensions and expulsions should stop and one wonders why they continue to happen if he and the people that surround him, are genuine in stopping this insanity and idiocy,” Mkwananzi added.
MDC-T Youth Assembly spokesman Clifford Hlatshwayo, who issued the statement announcing the latest purge, said Mkwananzi had been fired for “promoting factionalism, misappropriation of party funds, serious security breaches, misrepresenting the Assembly’s resolutions and putting the name of the party into disrepute”, among other breaches.
Madzore was not fired but his case has been “forwarded to the top leadership for further deliberation” after those who attended the meeting “expressed serious displeasure in the manner in which he is discharging his duties, and his non attendance of party programs and meetings.”
A Monday report on online news source Newzimbabwe.com quoted Madzore as saying he will not lose sleep over the issue.
“What I can tell you is it was not the MDC-T youth assembly that met. I will not comment on mickey-mouse issues that was not the MDC-T youth national council because we have not convened such a meeting.”
The MDC-T has already suspended deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma, the manicaland provincial leaders Pishai Muchauraya and Julius Magarangoma, in the ongoing leadership wrangle which has on occasions turned violent.
Last week, MDC-T Chitungwiza Provincial chairperson Alexio Musundire was expelled, joining other senior party officials who were expelled in Mat North. Reports suggest that the pro-Tsvangirai camp is now gunning for Gorden Moyo, one of the party’s most senior officials in Bulawayo.