Wongai Zhangazha
8 December 2011
DEPUTY Prime-Minister Arthur Mutambara last week moved to reinvent his political fortunes by co-opting new standing committee members to his MDC faction leadership following the split in the party in February.
Mutambara, who was president of the smaller MDC faction, split from the Welshman Ncube-led faction after declining to stand for the leadership of the party.
The Mutambara MDC said the newly appointed national executive would replace those the party “expelled” for being linked with Ncube’s faction and the “illegitimate” February 11 2011 meeting.
Prominent among those co-opted include Deputy Speaker of Parliament Nomalanga Mzilikazi Khumalo, who was appointed as deputy president.
Maxwell Zimuto was named secretary-general, Beauty Kerr Mthetwa treasurer, Robson Mashiri national organising secretary, Morgan Changamire party spokesperson and Tsitsi Dangarembga director of elections.
However, the appointments have been criticised as an abuse of the MDC constitution as appointments can only be done at a national congress.
According to the MDC constitution, Provision 5.4.3 the president, deputy president, national chairperson, secretary-general and deputy secretary-general, treasurer and the deputy treasurer-general shall be elected from the nominations made by provinces directly into their positions by congress in such a manner that at least two of their number shall be women.
But Zimuto said the appointments were not in violation of the constitution as there is a provision that allowed for appointments of the national executive in the event of death or resignation.
He said the provision stated that “in the event of the death or resignation of any other member of the national executive committee, the national council shall elect a person to act in that capacity pending the next national conference”.
In the meantime, Zimuto said the appointees would hold the positions until the party’s national congress on a date yet to be determined.
“We would love to hold the congress as soon as possible but there is a pending court case,” said Zimuto. “At the moment our plans are vested by the court case.
This is not the first time we have done this. If you recall well at a national congress in 2006 Gabriel Chaibva resignedas did AbednicoBhebhe and were replaced. This is just a similar case.”
MDC-N spokesperson Kurauone Chihwai said his party was not “worried or shaken” by the defections since they saw it as a Zanu PF project meant to cause confusion.
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Zimbabwe: Mutambara Reinvents His Political Fortunes