Thokozani Khupe unhappy to endorse Nelson Chamisa as party Vice-President

 

mdc

MDC VP, Thokozani Khupe has challenged the appointment of Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudziri as vice presidents. At a Standing Committee meeting of the party yesterday Khupe raised a point of order and objected to the presence of both Chamisa and Mudzuri, who were controversially picked by the MDC-T leader a few weeks ago.

Khupe told Tsvangirai that his appointments were illegal as they violated the party constitution. Other Standing Committee members joined in, and those for fought in Khupe’s corner include organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe, secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, party chairman Lovemore Moyo, Lynnette Gore and party spokesman Obert Gutu.

Those who supported Tsvangirai are deputy treasurer Chalton Hwende, Amos Chibaya, deputy spokesperson Thabitha Khumalo and Murisi Zvizvai. Morgan Komichi and Paurina Mupariwa remained neutral while Theresa Makone and Happymore Chidziva skipped the meeting.

After about 20 minutes of heated squabbling, Tsvangirai called off the meeting and refered it to the party’s National Council land National Executive. One official, who attended the meeting, described it as the “shortest and most hostile” ever of all Standing Committee meetings the party has had.

However Luke Tamborinyoka saw the situation differently. Here is how he described the meeting. President Morgan Tsvangirai today chaired a meeting of the full-standing committee that also welcomed the two new Vice Presidents that were appointed into office last week.

Advocate Nelson Chamisa and Engineer Elias Mudzuri were part of the new-look standing committee that met in Harare today. The two VPs were given a warm welcome by the other members of the committee, which had a full attendance.

The standing committee is a sub-committee of the national executive. President Tsvangirai also advised that the national executive committee and the national council will convene again in the next few days and one of the key businesses will be to tie up the constitutional amendments adopted by the 4th Congress in Harare in 2014. The executive and council will also deliberate on the pressing national issues affecting the people of Zimbabwe