The MDC Alliance elective congress scheduled for May 24 to May 26 is in limbo following a High Court ruling passed on Wednesday nullifying the presidency of Nelson Chamisa and declaring it unconstitutional.
The ruling follows a prayer made by a Gokwe man challenging the legality of Chamisa’s presidency.
The court further orders the party to hold an extraordinary congress using 2014 structures -a development which will leave Chamisa in the cold since Thokozani Khupe was the only Vice President thereby leaving her as the legitimate party president.
MDC-A principal Tendai Biti and vice president Welshman Ncube are also adversely affected by the ruling since they had defected from the party at the material time.
This disqualifies them from participation in the extraordinary congress.
In the same period, Chamisa also lost to Douglas Mwonzora for the secretary general post before the late Morgan Tsvangirai ‘smuggled’ him into the national executive via the backdoor.
MDC-A spokesperson Jacob Mafume told Zim Morning Post that he was awaiting the party’s legal team to advise and guide them on the next step forward.
“We have not yet seen the full judgment but our lawyers are looking at it currently therefore we cannot say anything about the judgment.
“As it stands we wait to hear from our lawyers therefore everything is normal as it was before,” said Mafume.
MDC –A senior member and former Education minister David Coltart scoffed at the ruling and described it as ‘empty thunder’ insisting that the elective congress will go ahead as planned.
“It will be appealed, this is what is called a brutum fulmen – ‘empty thunder’, an ineffective order. By the time the appeal is heard a duly constituted Congress of the MDC will have been held and Chamisa will be elected. Pathetic interference with the due process of a party,” said Coltart.
Chamisa was nominated as president by all provinces uncontested.
