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Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Bureau
MDC-T party secretary general, Mr Douglas Mwonzora yesterday said the party was pursuing legal action against the MDC-Alliance for continuing to occupy the party offices and properties national wide.

Mr Mwonzora’s comments follow clashes between MDC-T and MDC-A youths over the control of the party offices in Kwekwe at the weekend.

There has been disputes over property following a Supreme Court ruling which ordered the MDC-T, the main component in the formation of the MDC-A, to revert to its 2014 structures, which thus made Dr Thokozani Khupe the interim leader and Mr Mwonzora the secretary general.

The basis of the dispute is the status of the MDC-A, which now asserts it is a political party incorporating the formations that joined together to fight the 2018 elections. The MDC-T asserts, backed by a High Court ruling, that the MDC-A was a simple electoral pact and that the constituent parties remain. With the earlier Supreme Court ruling this makes the MDC-T under Dr Khupe the legal holder of the party property.

In an interview, Mr Mwonzora said blamed MDC-A youths for triggering the clashes.

“As you know we are preparing for our congress in line with the Supreme Court ruling and at the weekend, we were in the Midlands province,” he said.

“We intended to hold a meeting at our party offices in Kwekwe when some hooligans came and disrupted it. We tried to reason with them but they were violent and we could not conduct our meeting.”

Mr Mwonzora said the MDC-T were the legitimate owner of the party’s offices and properties across the country and was now going to take legal action to claim the offices.

“When we came to the Midlands, we did not intend to take over the offices but we just wanted to use them for our meeting but there are some who are still in denial as to who owns that office. We are now working on taking away our properties from these hooligans,” he said.

“We are definitely going take over and occupy our offices and properties it’s only a matter of time.”

Contacted for a comment, MDC Alliance national organising secretary, Mr Amos Chibaya said they will resist the takeover of the offices.

He said what happened at Harvest house will not be repeated elsewhere but would not elaborate on what action the MDC-A would take.

“I want to assure you that we are much prepared and what happened at Harvest house when (Mr) Mwonzora and company moved into our offices will not happen again. We will be there waiting for them let them dare take any of the party’s offices and you will see what will happen,” said Mr Chibaya.