MDC-UK set to suspend defiant ‘rebels’ from party

By Tichaona Sibanda
19 December 2007

The interim committee of the MDC-UK is set to suspend defiant ‘rebels,’ led by former chairman Ephraim Tapa, from the party for alleged gross misconduct.

The entire national executive of the MDC-UK led by the former trade unionist, was dissolved on 13th October and replaced by a co-coordinating committee led by John Nyamande.
A full national council of the MDC that met in Harare this past Sunday finally ratified the dissolution of the executive. But since October, Tapa and his close allies have defied the dissolution of his executive and have continued to meet as a group under the umbrella of the MDC.

During the same time they have also described party leader Morgan Tsvangirai as a dictator who is worse than the late Idi Amin, the former Ugandan leader. Dubbed the ‘Tapa rebellion’ the group seems oblivious to the fact that all its operations from now on would be outside party structures.

The current interim leader, Nyamande told Newsreel that before Sunday his committee was powerless to deal with Tapa and his allies because of the pending appeal, which the national council threw out. The national council resolution has given Nyamande’s committee ammunition to act against the ‘rebels.’
‘What that means is they can’t use the party name or hold any fund raising activities under the umbrella of the MDC. The dissolution of their executive was ratified by the decision making body of the party and that brought to an end the long-standing dispute. If they remain defiant they will hear from our lawyers very soon,’ Nyamande said.

Newsreel understands that plans have already been made to serve Tapa and his allies’ with a court summons to stop them using the party name when they meet on Saturday in Oxford, for what could turn out to be a meeting not sanctioned by the party.
But Tapa said they would not recognize the national council decision to ratify the dissolution of his executive. He said they will go ahead with their Saturday meeting as they need to sit down and carry out a post mortem of the national council decision.

‘What I will say now is the national council decision was unconstitutional because the decision was passed by a dictatorial few individuals. That decision is actually nonsense, it’s a joke and put simply it’s hooliganism. We will remain defiant,’ he said.

Hebson Makuvise, the MDC chief representative in the UK, described as ‘foolish’ Tapa’s continued defiance against the party leadership. While the party would not have the power to stop them meeting as friends or a group Makuvise said they would intervene if they convene under the MDC banner.
‘The party is taking necessary steps to stop him masquerading as the MDC-UK leader. I will tell you now that there are 34 people who are going to be suspended from the party from periods ranging from 5 to 10 years. If they want to make it worse let them continue,’ warned Makuvise.

Tapa’s fragile administration was undermined by a bitter power struggle and personal animosity between members of his executive, which virtually brought the operations of the party in the UK to a halt.

This forced the standing committee of the MDC to send national chairman Lovemore Moyo to the UK to try and resolve the crisis. During the special meeting in Northampton, 33 out of 37 branches that attended unanimously felt the executive needed to be dissolved because the working relationship of its leaders had been grounded from the start by acrimonious infighting.