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Herald Reporters
The MDC Renewal Team yesterday appointed a three-member panel of lawyers expected to preside over the disciplinary hearing of party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai today, but one of the lawyers distanced himself from the fights bedevilling the opposition party. The three lawyers that were appointed are Mr Dumisani Mthombeni, Mr Tafadzwa Mugabe and Mr Gift Nyandoro, all from Harare.

MDC Renewal Team spokesperson Mr Jacob Mafume yesterday said they had identified the three lawyers to preside over Mr Tsvangirai’s disciplinary hearing.

“The case will be presided over by Mr Dumisani Mthombeni, Mr Tafadzwa Mugabe and Mr Gift Nyandoro,” he said. “We will, however, not disclose the venue of the hearing due to security reasons.”

But Mr Mthombeni denied that he was part of the panel handling the case.
“I am shocked,” he said. “I actually heard about it for the first time through you.

“What is even more shocking is that I never involve myself in political issues even more so internal politics of factions within political parties.

“But it’s very unfortunate that they would even relay such information to the media without even engaging me to enquire whether I am interested in presiding over such processes or not.”

Mr Nyandoro was non-committal when contacted for comment.
“At the moment I am not in a position to confirm anything, but I can only be able to comment after tomorrow (today),” he said.
Mr Mugabe could not be reached for comment.

On Mr Mthombeni, Mr Mafume referred questions to another party official, Mr Thabani Mpofu, who promised to clarify the matter later in the day, but failed to do so.

Mr Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Mr Luke Tamborinyoka, said his boss would not attend the hearing.
“Mr Tsvangirai will be busy tomorrow (today) with other party issues, so we are not going to associate ourselves with a party that was formed in the month of fools,” Mr Tamborinyoka said.

Mr Mafume said the hearing would proceed even if Mr Tsvangirai failed to show up.
Mr Tsvangirai faces 17 counts of contravening “sections of article 2.1 of the disciplinary code of conduct and regulations” as spelt out in the MDC-T constitution.

The Renewal Team also accuses Mr Tsvangirai of failing to provide “competent leadership” and acting in a manner detrimental to party objectives.