BY BLESSED MHLANGA
ACTING MDC-T president Thokozani Khupe wants to claim ownership of the MDC Alliance name from the Nelson Chamisa-led party, an official confirmed yesterday.
Khupe’s faction, which seized control of the MDC Alliance headquarters Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House with the assistance of police and army last month, recalled several parliamentarians and clandestinely received $7,5 million from government under the Political Parties Finances Act.
Khupe’s spokesperson Khalipani Phugeni claimed that the Chamisa faction was infringing on their rights by using the name MDC Alliance, adding that the MDC-T would soon move to stop the practice.
“They are infringing our rights using the name MDC Alliance. We are going to assert our rights on the name very soon. The MDC Alliance is a pact that we entered into with seven other political parties and as MDC-T, we are the major partner in that agreement and those using that name are violating our rights,” he said.
Chamisa was elected leader of the MDC Alliance at the party’s congress in Gweru last year and has retained the support of the majority of parliamentarians and supporters of the party.
But MDC Alliance secretary for presidential affairs, Jameson Timba said Khupe’s latest move was not surprising and provided evidence that the former deputy premier was working with Zanu PF to destroy “the people’s project”.
“I am not surprised that she is saying that. She is following a Zanu PF script first tweeted by their President (Emmerson Mnangagwa)’s spokesperson, George Charamba. I am also aware she has tasked (party secretary-general Douglas) Mwonzora to find out whether Zec (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) can transfer and add to her 45 000 the 2,6 million votes won by president Chamisa,” Timba said.
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The MDC Alliance said Khupe and her team were against the formation of the alliance, disagreed with their late president Morgan Tsvangirai, and dumped him as he forged the agreement with the assistance of Chamisa.
“The whole country knows that Khupe parted ways with president Tsvangirai in July 2017 because she was opposed to the MDC Alliance,” Timba added.
“Unfortunately, for her the MDC Alliance is now a name of an integrated political party as opposed to an alliance of parties.
“Greed and envy is a sin before God and she must be content with what she has in the form of MDC-T. She can’t unfortunately try to reap where she did not sow, the earlier she learns these lessons of life the better for her and those who follow her.”
Charamba on his Twitter handle @jamwanda2 said Chamisa would soon be left without a party name and it appears Khupe is following the script.
