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(NEWZIMBABWE) MDC-T denies Biti-Chamisa rift claims

MDC-T denies Biti-Chamisa rift claims
23/04/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

THE MDC-T has dismissed as “malicious and unfounded” reports the party has been rocked by a bitter power struggle pitting secretary general, Tendai Biti against organising secretary, Nelson Chamisa.

A report in the Sunday Mail claimed that divisions within the party came to a head during a heated standing committee meeting where deputy national spokesperson and Bulawayo East MP Tabitha Khumalo blasted the alleged rivalry between Biti and Chamisa.

Khumalo allegedly said the bitter rivalry between factions aligned to the pair was undermining the MDC-T ahead crucial elections likely to be held this year adding MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s “management style was (also) killing the party”.

But in a statement Monday the MDC-T dismissed the report as yet another desperate attempt at a hatchet job by the state media on behalf of Zanu PF adding Khumalo was not a member of the party’s national standing committee and has never attended any of its meetings.

“We restate that there are no power struggles in the MDC … (the party) remains one happy, united family focused on bringing real change,” the party said.

“We are aware that sources of these defamatory stories are not in the MDC, but at the ministry of Media, Information and Publicity where a senior civil servant has chosen to abandon his public service duties to devote time to undermine the MDC.

“The MDC’s position is that these doomsday cults and authors of disorder in Zanu PF will not stop the national project of bringing real change to the people of Zimbabwe.”

Despite speculation that he is keen on Tsvangirai’s job, Biti was last Thursday quite effusive in his praise of the MDC-T leader during a lecture presented at the Atlantic Council, a think tank and public policy group based in Washington, US.

Biti said Tsvangirai’s “connectivity with the people” was one of the reason the MDC-T would “win (the next) election decisively”.

“… In Morgan Tsvangirai we have got a leader who is essentially the face of the struggle, the face of change in Zimbabwe. He’s clearly the undisputed – undisputable leader of the change struggle in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Labels: MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, NELSON CHAMISA

posted by MrK @ 6:53 PM