Maravi

(HERALD) MDC-T stalwart quits

MDC-T stalwart quits
Monday, 25 April 2011 22:58
MASHAKADA
By Isdore Guvamombe

A BRITISH business tycoon who has been co-ordinating MDC-T funding and support in the United Kingdom since 2007 has made a last minute U-turn against supporting the party and its congress slated for Thursday.

Alan Fish (57), the powerful managing director of water cooler installation company Cool Water Direct described the party as a bunch of crooks "who cheat on their own elections".

He confesses coming to Zimbabwe twice to give financial, technical and moral support to MDC-T during and after the 2008 harmonised elections.

Fish was expected to arrive in the country yesterday, ahead of the party congress and was quoted in the media last week confirming that he would attend the congress before witnessing the epic "cheating on Saturday".

"I am going on April 25 to the MDC congress which they hold every five years. I will be there for just a week. I am hoping to get involved with the politics of MDC a bit closer."

Fish, also calls himself "MDC ambassador to the white British community" and is credited for sponsoring several MDC-T meetings in and outside the UK - including four recent meetings in Yorkshire - for a number of years.

Recently he sponsored an MDC rally attended by 50 people at his Smith Farm in High Flatts.

He has since communicated to the party in London that he was shocked by the party's cheating during elections held in the UK branch recently and conducted by party national chairman and Speaker of the House of Assembly Mr Lovemore Moyo.
Fish attended the elections.

" . . . the (UK) elections overtook everything.

"You have proved yourselves to be no better than Zanu. My support was total and an ambassador for you in the white British community but after what I witnessed on Saturday, I cannot support a party who even cheats at its own election."

The UK branch election in question was a sham election in which Mr Moyo openly allowed many non-qualifying people to vote, resulting in an outgoing leader Tonderai Samanyanga being controversially re-endorsed by Moyo as winner despite strong protests and request to have a vote recount.

Fish is one of the several MDC-T handlers in the United Kingdom and in 2008 he held an Anti-Mugabe rally at his farm in which he invited Kirklees Tory councillor Jim Dodds to speak alongside then MDC UK deputy leader Emily Madamombe.

He also claims to be very close to Economic Planning Minister Tapiwa Mashakada, whom Fish claims he helped win a seat in Hatfield in 2008.

Labels: CAMPAIGN FINANCE, MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI

posted by MrK @ 2:24 PM