Maravi

(ZIMBABWE GUARDIAN) Tsvangirai visits troubled MDC-T Manicaland province

Tsvangirai visits troubled MDC-T Manicaland province
By: Ralph Mutema
Posted: Thursday, April 8, 2010 6:21 pm

MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was in Mutare on Wednesday to try and unify feuding party members in Manicaland Province. The party's national executive remained mum over what was discussed during the meeting, which was attended by all the party's districts and provincial leadership.

Mr Tsvangirai led an MDC-T delegation that included, among them his deputy Ms Thokozani Khupe; national spokesman Mr Nelson Chamisa; treasurer-general Mr Roy Bennett; chairperson of the women's assembly Mrs Theresa Makone; the deputy secretary-general Mr Tapiwa Mashakada; Mr Morgan Komichi and Mrs Lynette Kore.

Mr Mashakada said the meeting was a private affair meant for party members only and what was discussed was not for the Press' consumption.

"It was a private meeting. It was an in-house thing and was not open to the Press," Mr Mashakada said.

But a source, who attended the meeting, said Mr Tsvangirai had come to try and find solutions to the problems dogging the party in the province.

"Our President (Mr Tsvangirai) wanted to find ways of unifying the party and find the root cause of all problems affecting us in the province. It emerged during the meeting that efforts by the national executive to restructure the party's districts during their last visit last month were not fruitful, as the provincial executive snubbed the national executive.

“Some of the errant provincial members restructured the party districts on their own without the blessings of the national executive.

“The restructuring was done clandestinely, as the provincial leadership is trying to push out founding members of the party," the source said.

Mr Tsvangirai reportedly told the meeting that as the party leadership, they already knew who were causing problems in the province and would not hesitate to crack the whip.

"We know who are causing problems in the province and very soon, we will call the culprits to appear before a disciplinary hearing committee. No-one is bigger than the party," Mr Tsvangirai reportedly told those in attendance.

Investigations into the problems bedeviling the party revealed that some provincial executive members were now law unto themselves and were even barring other MDC-T members from visiting their offices.

There are also allegations of financial mismanagement in the MDC-T provincial structures, which resulted in the provincial office failing to settle a $10 000 phone bill and the resignation of provincial treasurer, Mr Brian James.

Labels: MANICALAND, MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI

posted by MrK @ 1:59 AM