Expelled opposition Movement for Democratic Change member, Abednico Bhebhe, says the two formations of the MDC led by Nelson Chamisa and Thokozani Khupe should participate in the forthcoming party’s Extraordinary Congress expected to be held within the next few days.
In an interview, Bhebhe said the MDC-T should conduct the congress properly instead of sidelining some people, who were in the party when Morgan Tsvangirai died.
He said the Supreme Court ruling notes that everyone who was in the party structures in 2014 should participate in the congress.
“When you talk about 2014 structures to be the ones that constitute the delegates at the Extraordinary Congress it therefore means you are talking about a group of individuals that went to a congress that was organized by Khupe at Stanely Square in 2018 and a group of individuals that were organized by Chamisa at his congress in Gweru in 2019. So, in other words, this Supreme Court ruling is talking to the two sections of the MDC coming together, going for Congress. So, for any leader to decide that l don’t want Chamisa to be part of my Congress, it is a fallacy, it is illegal, it shows that that person has got no depth of understanding issues and understanding institutions like the MDC as described or as quoted in the Supreme Court ruling.”
The Khupe MDC formation has indicated that Chamisa and other people, who are in the MDC Alliance, will be excluded from the congress as they expelled themselves by joining the alliance.
Bhebhe was recently expelled from the party following accusations that he was linked to the MDC Alliancce.
On this issue, he said, “… Because l was the organizing secretary then in 2014 and l have got all the structures that participated in the 2014 Congress, l identifed that two structures are split between the two factions, therefore l need to organize both sections as represented by those structures to go for the Extraordinary Congress. In the process of doing that it does not mean that l am supporting another political party. I wan to put it very clear … I am not supporting another political party. I am merely doing my job as organizing secretary.
“In our language in iSiNdebele we say ‘akusilima kundlebende kwaso’. We accept that there are people who do not understand the issues and they go around preaching that l am being used by Chamisa. Let me clear that notion once and for all. I am above the issue of being used by anyone because l can run my own life comfortably. I am not a desperate person who wants to survive in politics and l am not a desperate person who wants a position to earn a living. It is only those who want positions to earn a living particularly political positions who have got their puppets who go around singing for their supper claiming that I am going to hand over power to Chamisa. That is a fallacy, that is foolish, that is silly. Anyone who speaks that language has proved or should be proved by the world that he’s got no depth, he’s a parrot, he can’t think for himself, he says what he or she thinks or she has been told by the master. A master who has no depth in politics.”
The MDC-T claims that Bhebhe is being used by Chamisa to subvert its activities, including the holding of the forthcoming Congress.
The MDC-T presidential spokesperson, Khaliphani Pugeni, said, "Bhebhe has the right to go to court. He has taken us to court like all other people that have done so. I don't see him succeeding in this case. What he is talking about are issues that have been said over and over again and we have seen some being withdrawn from parliament. He is reading into the judgement instead of drawing from the judgement ... The judgement (Supreme Court) confirmed the MDC constitution and its leadership, it did not suspend the constitution or make the leadership subject every now and then before they enforce the constitution of the MDC-T ... If someone does not follow the constitution it kicks him like what happened to Bhebhe."