(Last Updated on February 10, 2021 by GERALD NCUBE)
BULAWAYO – Former MDC-T national organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe has dismissed recent claims that he was recently re-admitted into the party as per his expression of interest.
Bhebhe was expelled from the party last year in November on allegations of supporting another party, however, there were reports that he had been fired to clear a path to victory for certain candidates after he had emerged as a potential candidate to win the party’s presidency at the extraordinary congress.
On Saturday, new party spokesperson Witness Dube issued a statement saying the national council had resolved to re-admit some party members who had expressed interest in re-joining. Notably, Bhebhe was one of the people said to have been readmitted.
However, he (Bhebhe) has dismissed these reports, arguing that he has no desire to submit to the current “illegitimate” leadership and that in any case, their resolution to readmit party members would be unconstitutional since only a congress can do so.
“For the record, I did not appeal and had not intention whatsoever to appeal to the EOC because of it’s chaotic and shambolic nature. The supposed resolution to re-admit me in MDC-T as an ordinary party member is not only a violation of the party constitution, unless of course if the said gathering amended that clause as well but more concerning is the devious portrayal as well as battering my character as if I’m a desperate politician seeking someone’s benevolence. That is unacceptable and should not go unchallenged,” said Bhebhe.
Bhebhe said ot was well known that he was expelled for calling on all MDC members to unite and put their differences aside, adding that he had already made it clear that he had no intention to serve as the organising secretary of a divided party.
“I stated very clearly in an interview with Newsday (07/04/2020), that I would not be comfortable be the organising secretary of divided MDC. If the leadership could not find each other then I was not going to participate in EOC since that would be playing into the hands of Zanu-PF,” he added.
He further claimed that ahead of the EOC, the party’s constitution was violated with almost three-quarters of the 2014 delegates barred from participating because they backed him.
Bhebhe highlighted that Douglas Mwonzora’s leadership was disputed as the EOC itself was marred by massive irregularities and violence.
The MDC-T held its Supreme Court ordered EOC last year in December to elect a successor to its long time leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.
However, the congress failed to resolve deep internal fractures within the party which continue to give the new leader Mwonzora serious problems.