By Staff Reporter

THE MDC-UK has revealed some disturbing chactersistics of Zimbabwean politics after months of trying to interpret the meaning of the new party constitution in relation to external structures.

They came to Oxford Fundraising and sat on the front table masquerading as though they were still legally recognised as MDC-UK provincial executive.

Photo by Steven Mpofu

These were Tonderai Samanyanga and his lieutenants of the provincial executive that was outlawed recently by the new MDC-T constitution which explicitly states that 1) they are no longer existent as an executive, 2) that only six members should be elected to be part of the co-ordinating committee, 3) no way in the constitution that says the former provincial executive should transform to a new co-ordinating committee.

The MDC adopted a constitution after the Bulawayo congress that outlawed external provinces following endless squabbles in the diaspora.

Before the arrival of Bulawayo-east MP Thabitha Khumalo who excused herself to allow MDC-UK debate their bone of contention over who should be part of the coordinating committee.

There were disagreements, the disagreements were about the meaning of the constitution. Samanyanga told the gathering that he and the former members of the MDC-T UK executives  were transforming to become a co-ordinating committee.

The announcement was met with resistance from Peter Nyoni, Morgan Mutasa (Bristol chairman), Stanford Biti (South End on Sea chairman) and others.

They told the Samanyanga transforming executive that they were breaching the constitution, that they were no longer valid.

But Samanyanga had insisted that he had communication from the MDC-T Secretary General Tendai Biti empowering his former executive to transform.

A Zimbabwean lawyer Kudzanai Ranga told the meeting that as far as he was concerned the constitution prohibited the Samanyanga group from transforming into a co-ordinating committee.

“The constitution does not make a provision for the Samanyanga group to rejuvenate itself through an attempt to transform that way. Its over, and the constitution is clear for them,” said Ranga.

Speakers from the gallery said such a communication was problematic because it was against the new constitution.

Stanford Biti who spoke to The ZimDiaspora in the sidelines, said he doubted that the communication between his brother and Samanyanga was legitimate.

“I know the signature of my brother, that’s not his,” said Biti.

When MP Khumalo arrived she emphasised that MDC-UK should avoid misinterpreting the constitution.

However, Oxford finished without a resolution on the way forward. What happened in Oxford demonstrates the decay and lack of political development among Zimbabweans. It shows that the ZANU-PF legacy of overstaying in power continue to be bequeathed to us, it’s a depressing legacy, a legacy that has taught all Zimbabweans to refuse to let power go at all cost.

Unfortunately, such behavioural attitudes have devastated Zimbabwe’s country.