Khupe faces suspension as Mwonzora fights back
The MDC-T faces implosion after top executives were ordered to leave the party for recently defying a directive to withdraw financial impropriety charges they filed against the party’s president Douglas Mwonzora.
Deputy president Thokozani Khupe, chairperson Morgen Komichi, Chief Ndlovu and several top executives are in the line of fire after they insisted that Mwonzora should account for the $6 million illegally withdrawn from party coffers ahead of the party’s extraordinary congress in December last year.
According to NewsDay, the resolution to purge defiant executives was read out to Khupe and her team on Wednesday this week following a national standing committee meeting held two weeks ago.
A party insider is quoted as saying the resolution was smuggled as a way of bringing cohesion in the party cockpit and ensuring that the top leaders do not seem to be working against each other.
The Mwonzora camp wants Khupe, Komichi and Ndlovu to withdraw affidavits with the police but Khupe reportedly insisted that Mwonzora should come out clean on the matter.
However, MDC-T presidential spokesperson Lloyd Damba denied reports of a looming purge, saying the party was simply working towards cohesion.h
MDC-T activist Patson Murimoga who recently mobilised for demonstrations against Mwonzora, on Thursday claimed on social media that he had been fired from the party for refusing to withdraw theft charges against Mwonzora. He said:
People of Zimbabwe, I want you to know that on April 14, MDC-T as a party made a resolution that all leaders who gave statements to the police over the $6 million stolen by Mwonzora should go back and withdraw the statements.
Failure of which they said the youth assembly will deal with us. Right now, I have received a letter firing me from the party because I refused to go and withdraw my statement.
MDC-T spokesperson Witness Dube yesterday dismissed Murimoga’s claims, describing him as “a stranded horse, voiced lamp post, tortoise singing for supper” who should focus on rebuilding his musical career.
–NewsDay