Ugly fight for MDC property ensues

News
An ugly fight for control of MDC Alliance assets has erupted in Mashonaland East after officials aligned to party leader Nelson Chamisa allegedly seized property at the party’s provincial offices in Marondera.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

An ugly fight for control of MDC Alliance assets has erupted in Mashonaland East after officials aligned to party leader Nelson Chamisa allegedly seized property at the party’s provincial offices in Marondera.

The officials allegedly removed the office furniture after MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora appointed Wellington Makonese as the acting provincial administrator.

Mwonzora joined a faction led by Thokozani Khupe after the Supreme Court last month ruled that she was the interim leader of the party and not Chamisa, who elbowed her out in the race to succeed Morgan Tsvangirai in 2018.

The MDC Alliance officials, including two councillors, allegedly threatened Makonese before breaking into the offices in Morningside where they got away with chairs and computers, among other property.

Makonese has since filed a police report at Dombotombo Police Station under case RRB429078. According to the report, 47 chairs, two computers, a printer and an HP laptop were “stolen” during the raid.

MDC provincial spokesperson and Marondera mayor Chengetai Murowa could neither confirm nor deny the incident and referred all questions to Makonese.

Makonese said the MDC Alliance officials started by threatening him before they raided the party offices.

“I have opened a case against them after receiving threats,” he said.

“The following day, they returned to the office, broke in and stole some chairs, computers and printers, among other things, and went away.

“They broke the door to the main office, took some property and changed the locks.

“I have since filed a report at Dombotombo Police Station.”

The MDC Alliance officials are also trying to evict Makonese, who stays at the party offices.

According to a letter dated May 5, and signed by Mwonzora, Makonese was appointed the acting provincial party administrator.

“This serves to confirm that Makonese Wellington is the acting provincial administrator for our Mashonaland East Province stationed at our provincial offices housed at Number 2254 Morningside in Marondera,” reads part of Mwonzora’s letter.

Last week Mwonzora enlisted the help of the Zimbabwe Republic Police in a bid to take over the party’s headquarters in Harare, but he hit a brick wall after the police officers were challenged to produce a court order.