Mutambara steps down as president

His duties will now be taken over by former National Chairman, Joubert Mudzumwe, who led the breakaway group with other disgruntled senior members, according to SW Radio Africa correspondent Simon Muchemwa.

Mudzumwe and other senior members of the party refuse to recognise Welshman Ncube as the leader of the MDC, arguing that the January congress (where Ncube was nominated President) was conducted in violation of the partys constitution. At the congress Arthur Mutambara announced he would be stepping down as President, and this paved the way for Ncube to be elected into this position.

However, Mutambara later made a u-turn, saying he would not step down and the congress was illegitimate. He was backed by Mudzumwes group, which filed an application in the High Court, seeking to nullify the congress.

In the meantime the group maintained they were the MDC and continued to recognise Mutambara as their President, instead of Ncube. Other members of Mudzumwes group include national council members Tsitsi Dangarembgwa and Constantine Chipadza.

On Monday Mudzumwe told a press conference that his group have completely expelled Ncube from the MDC. They allege he has abused party funds and his powers by appointing Moses Mzila Ndlovu as one of the negotiators to the Global Political Agreement. Although Mutambara was not at the press conference, Mudzumwe said they had held discussions with him earlier in the day.

SW Radio Africa correspondent Simon Muchemwa said; The resolution which comes from that indicated that with immediate effect the council endorsed the expulsion of Welshamn Ncube as a party member and leader of the party. He (Mudzumwe) indicated there is another resolution which came out, that Arthur Mutambara will not be acting as party President any more until the High Court rules otherwise. So from now on Mudzumwe will be taking over and carrying out all duties which were supposed to be carried out by Mutambara.

But they indicated he remains a principal and is supposed to be representing the party in the [SADC Zimbabwe] negotiations, Muchemwa said. However Nhlanhla Dube, of the MDC faction led by Welshman Ncube, dismissed Mudzumwes groups allegations as lunacy. Its laughable, its nothing that any serious minded Zimbabwean or certainly any serious minded person of this world will take seriously, Dube said.