MDC-T Khupe camp faces moment of truth at congress ConCourt rules expulsion from Parly urgent
THE breakaway MDC-T led by Dr Thokozani Khupe today faces a moment of truth as it holds its congress to elect its substantive leaders after splitting from the group under Advocate Nelson Chamisa.
The MDC-T officially split last month and Dr Khupe, national organising secretary Mr Abednego Bhebhe and national spokesperson Obert Gutu were fired from the party.
Dr Khupe was locked in a succession battle with Advocate Chamisa to replace the party’s founding president Mr Morgan Tsvangirai who died in February.
The party’s national council endorsed Advocate Chamisa as Mr Tsvangirai’s successor but Dr Khupe refused to recognise him, arguing that she was the only elected MDC-T deputy president who was supposed to take over from Mr Tsvangirai.
Dr Khupe’s camp’s has accused Advocate Chamisa and his supporters of violating the party’s constitution and engaging in violence.
The two camps are fighting over the party name and symbols and their case is pending in the courts.
Dr Khupe’s spokesperson Mr Witness Dube yesterday said all was set for the party’s special congress to be held at White City Stadium in Bulawayo today.
“We’re finalising preparations for the congress and we’re well on course. We’re confident in everything that we’re doing.
“We’re not worried about numbers because we started on a good note in terms of membership. We’re THE Constitutional Court has ruled that the case of fired MDC-T deputy president Dr Thokozani Khupe’s expulsion from Parliament should be heard on urgent basis next month.
Last week MDC-T recalled Dr Khupe from Parliament saying she was no longer serving the party’s interests.
Dr Khupe then filed an urgent chamber application at the Constitutional Court on Monday challenging her expulsion.
In an interview yesterday, her lawyer Professor Lovemore Madhuku said Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza ruled that Dr Khupe’s case should be treated as an urgent matter and will be heard on May 30. “We today (yesterday) appeared before the Deputy Chief Justice to consider if the case can be heard on urgent basis or not. There was an agreement by all lawyers that the matter should be heard on an urgent basis,” said Prof Madhuku.
“The judges will also want to study the case hence the hearing has been set for May 30,” he said.
Prof Madhuku said the matter will determine the
actually oversubscribed and we can’t even afford to transport all our members to the congress. We don’t need to compete for members,” said Mr Dube. legality of recalling Dr Khupe from Parliament.
“This will determine whether the expulsion from Parliament was lawful. Between now and that date we have to agree on the timeline. When do they respond, when do we file the heads of arguments and so on,” he said.
Dr Khupe in her application challenging the expulsion has cited the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda and MDC-T national deputy chairperson Mr Morgen Komichi as the first , second and third respondents respectively.
In the application, Dr Khupe says she approached the apex court as it has jurisdiction to determine whether Parliament or the President has failed to fulfil a constitutional obligation as expressly stipulated by section 167(2).
She argued that whenever Parliament’s attention has been drawn to a split or potential split in a political party, it has a constitutional obligation not to recognise a written notice from one of the groups without either taking the matter to court under an interpleader of sorts or referring the parties to a court for determination.
Dr Khupe wants to be reinstated as a Member of Parliament. — @nqotshili
He said the camp was in the process of accrediting its members who will attend the congress, with adequate security having been put in place. — @pamelashumba1