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Elton Mangoma

Albert Chavhunduka Harare Bureau
THE MDC-T has expelled its deputy treasurer general Elton Mangoma and three other senior party members for insubordination and violating the party’s constitution.National executive member Last Maengehama, youth secretary general Promise Mkhwananzi and Jacob Mafume, who previously worked as a director in MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s office, were the other casualties of the cull.

Mangoma, Mafume, Mkhwananzi and Maengehama — members of a group advocating leadership reform known as MDC-Team — have openly called for Tsvangirai to step down.

The decision to expel the four was taken at the party’s national council meeting held at Harvest House in Harare yesterday.
A decision was also taken to set up a disciplinary committee that would rule on the fate of suspended Manicaland provincial chairperson and spokesperson Julius Magarangoma and Pishayi Muchauraya respectively.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said Mangoma had become a loose cannon in the party, dishing out party secrets to the media.

“The national council acting in terms of clause 5.11 of the constitution decided to summarily expel Mr Mangoma from the party not for the offences that are before the disciplinary committee but for the subsequent offences that he did commit,” said Mwonzora.

“The national executive and the national council noted further that subsequent to the charges laid before him, Mr Mangoma continued with transgressions complained of, in particular, he continued going to the press denigrating the image of the party, holding parallel meetings in the party and fanning factionalism in relation to the new offences he is said to have committed.”

Mwonzora said the party gave Mangoma and his accomplices a few days to write a convincing response for the party to rescind its decision.

He added: “In relation to Mr Mafume, Mr Maengahama and Mr Mkwananzi, the national executive found that they had fundamentally breached the rules of the party while senior leadership was in the process of finding each other and while party unity was being worked upon.

“These three decided to convene a press conference where they undermined the fundamental values of the party.”

Mwonzora said the party had set up a tribunal that would preside over the case which Mangoma had brought before the courts.

He said the tribunal would decide either to sit before or after the High Court ruling over Mangoma’s case in which he is challenging the legality of his suspension last month.

Members of the tribunal include Douglas Chinawa, Joshua Shekede, Chenai Moyo and Wilson Gumiro.
Mwonzora said out of the 190 members of the party’s national council, 130 voted in favour of Mangoma’s expulsion.

He said MDC-T’s decision to expel Mangoma was a reflection of the party’s seriousness to instil discipline in the beleaguered party.

“We’re serious as a party that we should put finality to the issues of indiscipline and we’re serious as a party that we should now concentrate on strengthening the party,” said Mwonzora.

Mangoma is accused of leading a group of party members pushing for Tsvangirai’s ouster.

He wrote two letters to Tsvangirai intimating that he had failed to lead the party and should pass the baton to a new leader.

Mangoma is believed to be a front for the party’s secretary general, Tendai Biti, who is said to be angling to succeed Tsvangirai. Biti previously said Mangoma’s suspension was a nullity, and the latest decision to expel his allies could provoke a forceful response from him, edging the party closer to a split.