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(HERALD) MDC factions fight for Sadc summit seat

MDC factions fight for Sadc summit seat
Herald Reporter
Monday, 16 May 2011 22:21

PROFESSOR Arthur Mutambara's MDC faction is making frantic efforts to block Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Musho-nga and Mr Moses Mzila Ndlovu from representing the party at the forthcoming Sadc summit in Windhoek - Namibia.

The two are from a faction aligned to Professor Welshman Ncube who claims to be the leader of the same party.

Addressing journalists after the faction's national council meeting in Harare yesterday, national chairman, Mr Jobert Mudzumwe, said the two MDC negotiators were abusing the Global Political Agreement and other negotiators to settle internal political differences.

He said the national council resolved to challenge the appointment of these two MDC negotiators through his office and other issues including the expulsion of some party members from Copac.

Mr Mudzumwe said Professor Ncube's MDC faction was not a signatory to the GPA and should not have any business in Sadc-brokered talks.

"The GPA clearly states that three parties must work together to resolve the Zimbabwe crisis and MDC-Ncube is not a party included in the GPA.

"The behaviour of these individuals can thus be interpreted as covert attempt to scuttle the entire process of the GPA to the detriment of the people of Zimbabwe.
"According to the GPA signed on September 15 2008, a party called MDC-Ncube cannot participate in GPA negotiations. Nor does a party called MDC-Ncube have a mandate to use negotiators for any purpose related to the GPA. Certainly a party called MDC-Ncube does not have mandate to rewrite the GPA," he said.

He said Prof Ncube's presidency was being challenged in the courts and thus should not be referred to as the MDC leader.

Mr Mudzumwe said although Prof Mutambara was interdicted by the courts from acting as MDC president, the same courts have not affirmed Prof Ncube as president.
To this end, he said there was no basis for the Sadc facilitation team to recognise Prof Ncube as MDC leader.

The national council, Mr Mudzumwe, said resolved that he (Mudzumwe) should act on behalf of the party's president Prof Mutambara whenever his services were required at the party.

A court interdict passed by the High Court barred Prof Mutambara from acting as MDC leader.

He said the national council also endorsed the expulsion of Prof Ncube from the party and that of all members who attended an ‘unconstitutional' national council meeting held on February 6 in Harare. The meeting expelled Prof Mutambara from the same party.

"Having noted the problems bedeviling the party emanating from the illegitimate and unconstitutional congress purportedly held from 8th to 9th of January by some misguided power hungry members of the party, the national council endorses the decision to expel the then secretary general Professor Welshman Ncube, taken by the party president Professor Arthur Mutambara.

"The council further resolves to expel the organisers and all those who attended the illegitimate national council meeting on February 11 at the Hillside offices," he said.

Labels: MDC, SADC

posted by MrK @ 1:14 AM