By Nyasha Chuma
MDC T party officials led by Yvonne Musarurwa forcefully disrupted a press conference called by Kudzanai Mashumba who sought to expose “embezzlement of party funds” by party president Douglas Mwonzora.
Mashumba called for the new conference “as a disgruntled member of the MDC-T party led by Mwonzora,” but was stopped in his tracks by a violet mob of MDC T officials who attacked him with opens hands and clinched fists accusing him of being an impostor.
The MDC T youths claimed Mashumba had been sent by Nelson Chamisa to tarnish Mwonzora’s image.
In a statement, MDC-T party spokesperson Witness Dube said Mashumba was expelled from the MDC T about six months ago for various misdemeanors and was not “competent enough to speak on alleged abuse of funds and other party affairs when he was never directly involved in the affairs.”
“According to information at hand, a commotion ensued when a member of the public wanted to disrupt the event and video evidence shows our youths, led by Hon. Yvonne Musarurwa intervening. In fact, Hon. Musarurwa is repeatedly heard, and seen protecting Mr. Mashumba from possible physical assault. Our youths further enquired from Mr Mashumba why he was falsely representing MDC T. As a general rule, our party normally holds press events at Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House, which is a secure venue for the media, our supporters and general members of the public,” Dube said.
“True to our party values on non-violence, our youths were able to protect Mr. Mashumba during the commotion. Our security department is currently investigation the intention and motives of Mr Mashumba, considering that he used our party logos and images under false pretence.”
Mashumba, who introduced himself as a serving chief of protocol in the MDC-T, a position he was appointed to by party vice-president Thokozani Khupe, accused Mwonzora of abusing $6 million allocated to the party under the Political Parties Finance Act.
“The constitution of the party is very clear on the timetable for any congress. The term of office of the 2014 office bearers expired in November 2019 and one wonders how and why the current office bearers continue to exercise their functions,” said Mashumba in a written speech he had given to the media before the attack.
“It is in the public domain that this self-imposed leadership has blocked the people’s rights to elect their own leaders and has unashamedly left one person to appoint and co-opt his own cronies into the party leadership, a custom well-orchestrated in Zanu PF,” he added.
