admin
position paper to the MDC formations.
Cde Edward Chindori-Chininga, who was sacked by the party as the Copac stakeholders chairperson for the offence, is now demanding reinstatement.
He said it was in fact his accuser, Copac co-chairperson Cde Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana, who leaked the document.
Zanu-PF has since recommended Politburo member Cde Lazarus Dokora to replace Cde Chindori-Chininga.
Cde Mangwana wrote to Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa early this month insinuating that Cde Chindori-Chininga, had leaked the document.
Cde Chindori-Chininga was fired on the basis of the letter.
But he has written his own version of events to Cde Mutasa, saying he conducted investigations and discovered that Cde Mangwana was the one to blame.
He said Cde Mangwana leaked the document on October 4, 2011 at Pandari Lodge, where the Copac co-chairpersons, together with constitutional experts, were expected to develop and agree on the constitutional framework.
DISCUSS THIS STORY ON FACEBOOK
Cde Chindori-Chininga said Cde Mangwana leaked the document to Mr Edward Mkhosi (MDC) who in turn showed it to his counterpart Mr Douglas Mwonzora of MDC-T. “It is obvious that Hon Mangwana, instead of restricting himself to the cleaned up document on the constitutional framework that he sent to Politburo, gave his co-chair counterparts the Zanu-PF constitutional framework,” he said in the letter to Cde Mutasa.
Cde Chindori-Chininga said when the other co-chairpersons saw the document, they accused Cde Mangwana of writing the constitution before the drafting stage.
He said Zanu-PF Select Committee members always objected to Cde Mangwana’s handling of sensitive Copac issues alone without support from other party members.
“It came as a surprise and serious concern to me that my party Zanu-PF had decided to withdraw me based on a one-sided co-chair Hon Mangwana’s allegations without due process,” Cde Chindori-Chininga said.
“That decision made by my party leadership without due process, creates a negative political perception impact on Zanu-PF, Copac, my political career and Guruve South constituency.”
In a letter to Cde Mutasa early this month, Cde Mangwana said Cde Chindori-Chininga was not co-operating with other Zanu-PF Copac members. “I received a report from my PA that Cde Chindori-Chininga had refused to co-operate saying ‘matanga vanhu veZanu-PF kuita zvinhu pasina veMDC’,” he said.
“I then instructed my PA not to send the document (to Cde Chindori-Chininga), which to me was a very strategic document.”
Cde Mangwana said Cde Chindori-Chininga later got the document from Cde Goodwills Masimirembwa, one of the Zanu-PF experts working on the new constitution.
He said Cde Olivia Muchena convened a caucus meeting to discuss the development.
Cde Mangwana yesterday said he would not react to the allegations made by Cde Chindori-Chininga since it was being handled by seniors in the party. He said Zanu-PF had since written to its chief whip, Cde Joram Gumbo, for him to inform House of Assembly Speaker Mr Lovemore Moyo of the new development.
Mr Moyo is responsible for appointing members into Copac.
Bongani Ndlovu
Colletta Dube