High Court reinstates Bhebhe, suspends MDC T Congress

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The High Court has blocked the Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T from holding the Supreme Court-ordered extraordinary congress which was due on 19 December 2020 and also set aside the expulsion from the party of national organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe.

This followed an urgent chamber application by Bhebhe who was seeking the postponement of the extraordinary congress until his challenge against expulsion from the party is determined

Acting party president Thokozani Khupe, national chairman Morgen Komichi and the MDC-T were cited as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents respectively. The High Court ruled:

The Applicant’s suspension and expulsion from the office of National Organising Secretary and membership of the 3rd respondent having been reviewed and set aside in HC 1973/20 and HC 2119/20.
Applicant be and is hereby reinstated to his membership and office of National Organising Secretary of the 3rd Respondent.
Pending the determination of Applicant’s for review filed under cover of case numbers HC 1973/20 and HC 2119/20. 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents be and are hereby interdicted from convening a Congress to elect the 3rd Respondent’s President.
As a consequence of the order in (1) above, the 3rd Respondent’s Congress to elect the 3rd Respondent’s President scheduled for the 19th of December 2020, be and is hereby held in abeyance, till applications for review filed under covers of case numbers HC 1973/20 and HC 2119/20 are determined.

Bhebhe was expelled from the party last month on allegations of “grossly violating the constitution of the party by supporting another political party other than the MDC-T”.

The former Nkayi legislator was considered a threat by the other presidential aspirants after garnering 170 votes to acting president Khupe’s 39 votes and secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora’s 7 votes during the Bulawayo province nomination process.

-Pindula