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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
THE MDC Alliance has assigned a seven-member team to investigate claims by losing Bulawayo provincial executive aspirants that party president Mr Nelson Chamisa manipulated processes at the provincial congress to achieve his desired outcome.
In a letter to the party’s national executive, 12 losing candidates blamed Mr Chamisa and organising secretary Mr Amos Chibaya for the chaotic congress.
The 12 losing candidates; Mr Phelela Masuku, Mr Edious Shumba, Mr Charles Moyo, Percy Tapela, Mr Thamu Ncube, Ms Sinikiwe Mutanda, Ms Jasmine Toffa, Mr Dingilizwe Tshuma, Mr Edwin Ndlovu, Ms Stella Ndlovu, Mr Mbuso Siso and Mr Samuel Munsaka called for the nullification of the provincial congress results on the basis that the election was rigged among other irregularities.
The party held a provincial congress on April 17 ahead of the national congress slated for later this month.
MDC Alliance national spokesperson Jacob Mafume yesterday confirmed that the party had received the applicants’ appeal letter.
He said a seven-member appeals committee led by Harare Senator Mr Morgan Femai has been tasked to investigate their case.
“The seven-member appeals committee chaired by Senator Femai is looking into the matter,” he said.
Mr Mafume said their recommendations would not affect the course of the party’s congress.
“The issues that are being dealt with will not stop the congress as they are about individual complaints about people. This is like a general election and one has an issue with one being an MP; the result or lack of a result in that petition affects a specific person. That cannot affect the whole congress process,” said Mr Mafume.
Sen Femai said his committee would have gone through the applicants’ case by Friday.
“The applicants appeal papers are on my desk at the moment. That is what we are doing and by Friday everything will be surrendered to the president. As you know we only do recommendations. I can’t say much about the case at the moment, It’s a party issue directed by the highest office, the national executive, so at the moment I can only limit myself to what I’ve already said,” said Sen Femai.
Makokoba Member of Parliament Mr James Sithole won the provincial chairman’s post.
In the letter of appeal, the losing candidates argue that the interference by Mr Chamisa and Mr Chibaya benefited Mr Sithole’s camp.
The appellants also argued that the provincial congress was illegal as it did not adhere to the party processes, conduct and procedures.
Recently, Mr Chamisa was sucked into a tribal storm at the party’s Bulawayo structures who accused the opposition leader of presiding over a provincial congress marred with irregularities and ethnic bias.
– @nqotshili
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