MDC-T to hold elective Congress

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter
THE opposition MDC-T will hold its elective Congress next month where all positions in the standing committee including the presidency will be up for grabs.

Party leader Mr Douglas Mwonzora took to Twitter to announce the development and said delegates will come from wards, districts, and provinces. Voting will be by a secret ballot.

“The MDC will hold its Ordinary Congress at the end of June, 2022. At this Congress, the top leadership of the party will be democratically elected through a secret ballot in terms of the party constitution by delegates from the wards, districts, and provinces

The ordinary Congress will also deal with any proposed amendments to the constitution as well as key policy issues to guide the party in the execution of its mandate which is to bring democratic change in Zimbabwe,” said Mr Mwonzora.

He said observers from other political parties, civil society as well as the Press will be invited to the congress and were “free to cover it in any lawful manner that they want.”

“The MDC is a social-democratic party. Its guiding values are freedom, justice, equality, solidarity, democracy, constitutionalism, and respect for the rule of law.

Our vision for Zimbabwe is a peaceful, democratic, prosperous, developmental, and inclusive nation which leaves no one behind,” said Mr Mwonzora who took over the party leadership from Ms Thokozani Khuphe in a tension filled election at the Harare International Conference Centre in December 2020.

MDC-T national spokesperson, Mr Witness Dube, said the organisational renewal will start from the branches up to the national level. He said logistics for the Congress were going smoothly.

“The logistics are yet to be finalised but it is going to be held in Harare for logistical ease in terms of venues and all. When Khuphe lost the presidency in 2020, that was an extraordinary congress, now we are going to an ordinary Congress.

The 2020 one was an extraordinary congress that specifically dealt with filling the position of (the late) president Morgan Tsvangirai alone, now every other congressional position is open for grabs, meaning it starts from the grassroots, the organisational renewal starts from the branches, where they will elect new leaders, same with wards, districts, and provinces and finally all the standing committees’ position will be up for grabs, including the presidency,” said Mr Dube.

Tsvangirai died in 2018 at a South African hospital after a long battle with cancer.

Dube said he was going to seek re-election as the party mouthpiece.

“I will contest for the party’s secretary for information and publicity,” said Dube.