Maravi

(HERALD) Fireworks expected at MDC executive crisis meeting today

Fireworks expected at MDC executive crisis meeting today
Bulawayo Bureau

FIREWORKS are expected at the troubled MDC faction’s national executive committee crisis meeting in Harare today amid revelations that many legislators in the camp are mobilising to oust their leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai. Sources said the legislators and other top leaders in the faction who are outraged by Mr Tsvangirai’s violation of the faction’s constitution have caucused well in advance and are expected to spring a surprise by openly confronting him for his cronyism and dictatorial tendencies.

They said most officials are prepared to kick him out of the top post at today’s no-holds-barred meeting.

Senior faction insiders who are reportedly opposed to Mr Tsvangirai are the faction’s spokesperson Mr Nelson Chamisa, organising secretary and former Mayor of Harare Mr Elias Mudzuri, deputy secretary-general Mr Tapiwa Mashakada, Kwekwe Member of Parliament Mr Blessing Chebundo and youth leader Mr Thamsanqa Mahlangu, among others.

On the other hand, Mr Tsvangirai enjoys the support of his secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti, national chairman Mr Lovemore Moyo and members of his widely-condemned "kitchen cabinet", Mr Ian Makone and Professor Eliphas Mukonoweshuro — although the academic is understood to have been privately expressing disquiet over Mr Tsvangirai’s leadership style of late.

"It is either he reverses the ouster of Lucia Matibenga as the party’s leader of the Women’s Assembly or we force him out of the party," said a Member of the House of Assembly belonging to the crisis-torn faction who asked not to be named as he feared victimisation.

Interestingly, today’s crisis meeting has been called by a Mr Tsvangirai who is desperate to restore his grip on the faction following a fallout with most members of his party over his decision to remove Mrs Matibenga and replace her with Mrs Theresa Makone. Mrs Makone is the wife of Mr Tsvangirai’s trusted friend and confidante, Mr Makone.

The decision to elbow out Mrs Matibenga has caused serious rifts in the party which are threatening to further split the fragmented opposition, which split into two factions in October 2005 after Mr Tsvangirai once again chose to defy the party’s constitution.

The MP said most parliamentarians and people with influential positions in the party were on Mrs Matibenga’s side as they felt that her ouster was unconstitutional.

Labels: MDC, THE HERALD, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 4:36 AM