Full text of Mafume statement on expulsions

Jacob Mafume’s statement.

Press Statement by the ‘MDC Team’ on what they have termed the ‘illegal’ expulsions

Friday, 11 April 2014

The MDC Team finds nothing shocking in the unconstitutional decision made on Thursday by a bogus MDC National Council in expelling the party’s Deputy Treasurer General, Elton Mangoma, the Youth Assembly Secretary General, Promise Mkwanazi, Last Maengahama, a member of the National Executive and spokesperson, Jacob Mafume.

Be that as it may, our position as the MDC Team is that Thursday’s meeting of the National Council was a Kangaroo process which came up with a Kangaroo judgment and we view the ruling as a legal nullity.

Although the MDC Team dismisses the expulsions as unconstitutional, the outcome vindicates our earlier position that the MDC leadership is seriously diverting from the party’s Constitution, core values and principles.

Punishing party members for simply expressing their views is alien to the MDC, a party that was founded to fight Zanu PF and Mugabe’s intolerance of opposing views. What we are witnessing is a serious ‘Zanufication’ of party processes as those who hold opposing views are expelled without due process and this is detrimental to the goal of achieving democratic transition in Zimbabwe.

The fact of the matter is that a significant number of members of the National Council were barred from the meeting through unconstitutional suspensions and some of the people who sat in that meeting are not bona fide members of the National Council.

Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai continues to undermine the National Executive which met yesterday before the Kangaroo National Council and recommended that a disciplinary committee be constituted to deal with the issues of Mr. Mafume, Mr Mkwananzi and Mr. Maengehama.

Regrettably, as was the case in the unconstitutional suspension of Deputy Treasurer Mangoma, Mr Tsvangirai defied the National Executive’s decision and went ahead with his plan to convene a Kangaroo National Council whose agenda was to rubber stamp his predetermined outcome.

What is puzzling is that the National Council expelled Mr Mangoma, who is already on suspension pending a hearing, without affording him an opportunity to be heard. This is not only a violation of the party and national Constitution but flies in the face of the principle of natural justice.

There is serious selective application of the law in the MDC as Mr. Maengahama, Mr. Mkwananzi and Mr. Mafume were expelled for convening a press conference when other party members have gone to the press but no action has been taken against them.

What is clear to us is that Mr. Tsvangirai is undemocratic as he has resorted to the use of violence, purges and intimidation to cow party organs into submission in pursuit of his selfish interest of maintaining his authoritarian grip on power.

We are aware of the existence of a clique around him that is bent on decimating the party for fear of losing at Congress. It is sad that the people’s project is being sacrificed on the altar of expediency by this power hungry clique which is now driving the party processes.

What Tsvangirai and his team are doing in intimidating and purging party members is for them to lay the ground in order to manipulate the voters’ roll ahead of the coming Congress.

It is unheard of in a democratic society that the four MDC members are expelled while other members like some councillors who voted with Zanu PF to elect Zanu PF mayors have been let scot free.

It is therefore no doubt that Tsvangirai is bringing the party into disrepute and is destroying the party and the people’s project. He wants to run the MDC as a personal project and for personal benefit while the people are suffering and this we will not accept.

Despite the shenanigans that are taking place in the MDC leadership, the MDC Team will not be deterred by such unilateral and unlawful decisions. If anything it has strengthened our resolve in intensifying our renewal drive to achieve a better Zimbabwe for all.

The MDC Team will continue to consult with the majority of MDC members who are calling for renewal in the party and are against all the undemocratic actions made by Tsvangirai.

Our message to MDC members, party structures and the people of Zimbabwe is that we are aware of the suffering that you are going through due to a collapsing national economy as a result of a crisis of legitimacy following the July 31 grand electoral theft by Zanu PF.

Given the above challenges, Zimbabwe needs a strong alternative political party and that is why the MDC Team is calling for a renewal in our party in order to save the people from the current crisis.

The MDC Team believes that there is need to revive the people’s democratic project so as to restore the people’s hope in a credible and democratic alternative that can deliver jobs, better health, education and a better life for all in a truly democratic Zimbabwe.

Our road map is to move Zimbabwe forward as a coalition of winners and progressive Zimbabweans that transcends gender, race, age, class, ethnic background and old political allegiances.

We believe in a united democratic movement that builds a broad social movement, delivers democratic transition in Zimbabwe and the time for such a movement is now.

I thank you!

Jacob Mafume 

MDC Team Spokesperson