Mbatia, NCCR controversy in fresh twist

James Mbatia


                               


                                                                                                 PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • The NCCR Mageuzi party congress on saturday expelled former Chairman Mr James Mbatia who claimed the decision interfered with the court...

Dodoma. The leadership fight in the opposition NCCR-Mageuzi took a new twist yesterday with the conflicting sides differing about court case.

The party congress on Saturday expelled former chairman James Mbatia who claimed the decision interfered with the court injunction filed by Mr Mbatia and a colleagues against the party meetings.

While Mbatia’s team maintain that the case is still in the court, the party deputy chairman Mr Joseph Selasini yesterday displayed “a ruling of the case” which was issued on Saturday September 24 this month, the day Mbatia’s membership was revoked.

Mr Selasini who spoke yesterday advised the former chairperson to accept his fate, stating that his membership termination was a democratic one.

On Sunday, Mr Mbatia termed his termination as ‘invalid’ claiming that the general congress made a decision while the court case was ongoing.

Mr Selasini who displayed a copy of the court judgment said that they had all the blessings to conduct the emergency meeting that resulted into expelling Mr Mbatia.

Mr Selasini also warned fellow opposition leaders to avoid associating the ruling party and national intelligence service with “their own mistakes.”

“It has been an excuse for people to make mistake and then blame CCM or the national intelligence service, but let us ask ourselves if CCM told them to sell the party’s properties. Is it the intelligence who sold the party houses?” he querried.

“We, the leaders of the opposition parties, normally speak out against corruption within CCM and the government, but when it comes to evils within opposition parties, we lack the muscles to speak against them,” he said.

In addition, Mr Selasini encouraged the leaders to start respecting the constitution and democracy within the party, before fighting for the country’s democracy.

“NCCR-Mageuzi is an independent party with its own constitution and with no affiliation to any other party, the decision was made by observation of their constitution, and so it should be respected,” he said.

He added that some members have also been receiving threats from Mbatia’s supporters, a matter which has been reported to the security forces.

However, this was rebuked by the former head of publicity and ideology Mr Edward Simbeye who insisted that there are no such a thing.

Mr Simbeye also refuted claims that Mr Mbatia and the hotel owner, where he was denied entry for press briefing on Sunday, were friends. “It is not true that Mbatia is related to the owner of the hotel. We are ready to provide proof of the payment made to the hotel,” asking the reporter to ask Selasini about the case slated for October 6 this year.