(TALKZIMBABWE) Tsvangirai clips Biti's wings

Tsvangirai clips Biti's wings
By: Floyd Nkomo
Posted: Monday, May 24, 2010 12:35 am

MDC-T has reduced the powers of its secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti and reallocated them to deputy secretary-general, Mr Tapiwa Mashakada. The move is a precursor to formally suspend Mr Biti as in-fighting increases and the gulf widens between him (Biti) and party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai is said to have unilaterally ordered the changes at an MDC-T standing committee meeting at their Harvest House headquarters in Harare on Thursday last week.

MDC-T's deputy organising secretary Mr Morgan Komichi told The Herald newspaper that Mr Biti had not been suspended and it was normal for Mr Mashakada’s office to have a central role to play in the party.

"On Thursday, we actually had a good meeting focusing on party programmes. Mr Mashakada is the deputy secretary-general and it is the normal set-up that he works together with the secretary-general.

"In fact, we didn’t have any discussion of that nature. Maybe people are just mixing things with inquiries in the disturbances that happened at Harvest House," he said.

Insiders say the dilution is part of an agenda to force Mr Biti out of the party ahead of a congress scheduled for May 2011.

The MDC-T party has masked the demotion of Mr Biti as "a chance to concentrate on business as Finance Minister".

Mr Mashakada holds no post in Government.

Mr Tsvangirai is said to have announced that Mr Mashakada was now responsible for overseeing the day-to-day running of the party and Mr Biti could now concentrate on his role as Finance Minister.

He is reported to have called for an inventory of all party assets, particularly vehicles which he felt were being used in the plot to de-campaign him.

After the meeting, it is alleged Mr Biti confronted Mr Nelson Chamisa (the party spokesman) and accused him of "selling him out" to Mr Tsvangirai.

Mr Chamisa is said to have replied saying he too was under attack from the party leader.

"(National youth chairman Mr Thamsanqa) Mahlangu is reported to have quelled the confrontation.