Lawyer and MDC losing candidate for Harare South Jacob Mafume is reported to have filed an urgent High Court application on Thursday seeking to stop Friday’s MDC-T National Council meeting. Other sources claim he has only made a threat to do so.
The National Council, the highest decision making body in the MDC in between congress, is set to meet and deliberate on various issues including the fallout from a letter written by Deputy Treasurer General Elton Mangoma asking party leader Morgan Tsvangirai to step down and call for an extraordinary congress.
In an interview with Nehanda Radio, Mafume denied that they were trying to stop the meeting adding that “Not necessarily it (application) requires them to follow the constitution in dealing with Mangoma issue.”
Mafume said Mangoma “does not even know what charges are being given to him ….we reserve our right to approach the High Court to stop the abuse.”
Asked if the meeting had been called to deal with Mangoma specifically, Mafume said “No one knows really because they only called the standing committee, national executive, which are supposed to set the agenda of the national council.”
“If it was about something else the agenda should have been circulated or the executive would have met first but they are all taking place tomorrow …so any court action if launched will be on them not dealing with the Mangoma issue.”
In briefings to Nehanda Radio another official claimed Mangoma’s camp held a meeting in Hillside, Harare (7pm to 12am) in which they wanted to assess the mood in the national council ahead of Friday’s meeting. The meeting was allegedly chaired by Mangoma and Secretary General Tendai Biti.
It was their conclusion that the mood in the council did not favour their ‘renewal’ position and hence the legal action to block the meeting. There is also a suggestion Mangoma could be expelled for “bringing the party into disrepute by not following due procedure in articulating his concerns.”
“Instead of organizing demonstrations against the SalaryGate Scandal we are now busy putting out the flames started by Mangoma. Whilst we encourage free expression in the party, leaking letters to the media and undermining the party publicly is not something we can tolerate,” the official told Nehanda Radio.
We understand the Hillside strategy meeting was coordinated by MDC Director General Toendepi Shonhe and those who attended also included:
Evelyn Masaiti, Sengezo Tshabangu (Mat North Provincial Chair), Wilstaff Stemere (Masvingo Provincial Chair), Oliver Chirume (Masvingo Youth Chair), Solomon Madzore (Youth Assembly Chair), Alexio Musundire, Tichaona Manyanyi, Willas Madzimure, Last Maengahama, Nezi Ward, Mashoko, Reggie Moyo, Jacob Mafume (strategist), Settlement Chikwinya and Promise Mkwananzi (Youth Assembly Secretary General).
Others in the faction who did not attend include Tongai Mathuthu, Jefferson Chitando all from Masvingo and Pishai Muchauraya, Julius Magarangoma and Prosper Mutseyami all from Manicaland.
We also understand the group has planned an early morning demonstration at Harvest House to attract the media’s attention to their agenda. Several buses are alleged to have been hired to bring people to Harvest House for the protests.
The last high profile meeting at Harvest House last month, which saw Tsvangirai meet over 210 provincial leaders, was highly charged and ended in party supporters camped outside allegedly assault Mangoma and other officials accused of seeking the ouster of the party leader.
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