Pro-senate leaders expel MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai as issue of legitimacy remains

By Tererai Karimakwenda
27 December 2005

Officials in the pro-senate camp of the MDC announced they had expelled the party’s president Morgan Tsvangirai over the weekend. The action was taken on Saturday by a disciplinary committee comprised of members from the pro-senate faction led by secretary general Welshman Ncube. The opposition has split into 2 factions, both of which are claiming to be the legitimate MDC. The same committee suspended Tsvangirai earlier this month, and the president’s group has insisted these decisions are not binding as they are being made by an illegal disciplinary committee that does not represent the MDC.

The issue of legitimacy has continued to go back and forth as both sides make announcements and pronouncements not recognised by the other. Tsvangirai’s spokesman, William Bango, told news services the expulsion was illegal and would be ignored.Both sides originally said the split had been a result of differences over participation in the senate elections last month. But Tsvangirai last week told diplomats in Harare he had evidence that Ncube and his partners had made a deal with ZANU-PF to remove him and setup a government of national unity. Ncube’s camp has dismissed the allegations.