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On 24 December 2005, Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC president was expelled from the party he had founded in 1999. This is after Morgan Tsvangirai has been suspended as president of the Zimbabwe opposition MDC according to the party’s constitution on 29 November 2005.

According to Gift Chimanikire, the Deputy Secretary-General, the fate follows misrepresenting the outcome of October 2005’s national council meeting, which resolved to participate in  senate elections. Tsvangirai, who opposed participation in the elections, announced that there was a stalemate when in reality, the vote was 33-31 against him. Also expelled is Isaac Matongo, his sympathiser, who is also the national chairperson. However, Tsvangirai is not bowing down without a fight. William Bango, his spokesperson, has dismissed the expulsion saying the displinary committee was not properly constituted and as far as the party is concerned, Tsvangirai remains the legitimate leader of the party.

In early December 2005, the High Court nullified attempts to suspend Tsvangirai, saying only the party’s congress had the right to do so. Both factions were claiming to be organising the next congress due February 2006 and the possibility of reconciliation is rules out. The stage appeared set for a wrangle on who uses the name MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai told his party’s followers in Bulawayo in December 2005 that he would not allow a faction opposed to his leadership to topple him from power.

Addressing a consultative meeting with the party’s leadership in Zimbabwe’s second biggest city of Bulawayo, Tsvangirai said a faction led by Secretary General Welshman Ncube that has opposed his leadership in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party was a “nuisance” that should never be allowed to take over the opposition party.

“What is apparent at this point is that these people have become an absolute nuisance. Most of them think they are indispensable, especially people like Ncube and Job Sikhala, but they are not? No one will take the MDC, not over my dead body,” said Tsvangirai.

The meeting was attended by MDC National Chairman Isaac Matongo, Makokoba Member of Parliament Thokozani Khuphe and women’s assembly Chairwoman Lucia Matibenga among others. The party’s disciplinary committee suspended Ncube, deputy president Gibson Sibanda, Deputy Secretary General Gift Chimanikire, Treasurer Fletcher Dulini Ncube and legislator Trudy Stevenson who are all in Ncube’s camp.

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said that Tsvangirai had told the people from the three provinces that they had to elect a new leadership because Sibanda and the others contesting his leadership had become “archival material” needing replacement. “The President has been in Matabeleland preparing the groundwork for national healing in the MDC as we anticipate to elect a new leadership at our congress next year (2006). The party structures he met said they were ready to elect a new leadership.

“They will be holding provincial congresses early next month (January 2006) in anticipation of our national congress. Sibanda and company belong to the museum as far as the President and the MDC are concerned. “We cannot allow them to work with ZANU PF in assaulting the democratic struggle while wearing MDC caps. They are out. Maybe the only congress they can attend is a ZANU-PF one because that is where they belong,” said Chamisa.

Dandaro Online, Today In History, Zimbabwe, This Week in History