MDC-T Faction 'Defies' Court Order Blocking Tsvangirai Expulsion
The legal counsel for the Renewal Team led by law Professor Lovemore Madhuku insists the interdict is of no consequence
WASHINGTON — A faction within the MDC-T caling itself the Renewal Team insists that Morgan Tsvangirai has been expelled from the party despite a High Court order stopping the action. Judge justice Happious Zhou froze the expulsion that was made by a tribunal despite the ruling that nullified a meeting earlier this year that laid down several allegations against Tsvangirai including violence and not following the party constitution. The applicants, Thamsanqa Mahlangu, the MDC-T and Lovemore Moyo (national chairperson) wanted an order, stopping implementation of all resolutions of April 26 2014 at Mandel Training centre, any disciplinary proceedings against any office bearer of the MDC-T. Part of the interdict reads: "..pending the determination of this matter ..the respondents or any other claiming through them or acting on their instruction be and are hereby interdicted from proceeding with any disciplinary proceedings against the third applicant or any office bearer of the 2nd respondent on June 27 2014 or some other day pursuant to resolutions of a meeting held at Mandel Training Centre on April 26 2014". The legal counsel for the renewal team, led by Law Professor Lovemore Madhuku, insists the interdict is of no consequence because the papers containing the indict were not served to the tribunal but Tendai Biti and others. The Tribunal headed by Harare lawyer Gift Nyandoro and comprising Tafadzwa Mugabe and Edwin Hamunakwadi unanimously passed the guilty verdict. But MDC-T spokesman, Douglas Mwonzora, also a lawyer representing the party, told Studio 7 the renewal team is in contempt of court because the interdict states that the meeting held at Mandel Training Centre was ruled illegal and cannot therefore try Tsvangirai. “They failed to follow our party constitution and now they are failing to follow the country’s constitution,” he said. We also reached spokesman of the MDC-T Renewal team Jacob Mapfume who is also a lawyer. He says Morgan Tsvangirai and Chairman Lovemore Moyo remain expelled from the party because the tribunal found them guilty of several crimes. “They remain expelled from the party,” he said. “They were told well ahead that there was going to be a hearing and they did not attend.”