Chamisa’s MDC-T says Khupe has no mandate to call an extra-ordinary congress in the name of the MDC-T

The Movement for Democratic Change led by Nelson Chamisa today said expelled vice-president Thokozani Khupe has no mandate to call for an extra-ordinary congress in the name of the MDC-T.

Khupe, who has refused to recognise Chamisa and was expelled from the party together with Abednigo Bhebhe and Obert Gutu, was scheduled to hold an extra-ordinary congress this weekend but postponed it to 21 April so that it does not clash with a rally by Chamisa.

Acting spokesman Thabitha Khumalo said that Khupe was just an individual; “an expelled one for that matter with no power at all to call for any congress or any meeting of the party”.

“The national council, the supreme decision-making body between congresses, has in its wisdom already put to rest the issues that she purports to be complaining about. Khupe has the right to exhaust all available domestic and internal remedies as provided for in the party constitution,” she said.

“The constitution is very clear on how and who should call for an extra-ordinary congress and former members that have been expelled have no such powers. Their cause has no support from any of the organs of the party, including any of the 12 provinces or of the 1 958 wards the party.

“Theirs is simply a lost cause. The party president and the leadership even extended the time frame given to him by the national council in order to give dialogue a chance but the former comrades remained obstinate.”

This will be the second time that factions will be fighting over the MDC brand. The first time, the majority faction then led by founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai lost the name to the Welshman Ncube faction forcing it to call itself MDC-Tsvangirai.

Khupe wants that name.

Full statement below:

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