CHINHOYI — There was pandemonium at the MDC-T Mashonaland West provincial headquarters last Thursday when youths demonstrated against a senior party official accused of being a Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operative, amid reports of widening rifts caused by deep-seated factionalism in the province.
The fracas, allegedly sparked by a faction led by a named youth leader, was aimed at ousting provincial administration secretary Greenwich Ndanga, who is suspected to be a CIO mole.
MDC-T Mashonaland West chairman Japhet Karemba confirmed the incident yesterday.
“Indeed, there was a group of youths that came from Karoi saying they wanted to remove Ndanga from his post. I instructed them to put their grievances and allegations against Ndanga in writing, but they defied me and demanded he leaves office immediately.
“I am still uncertain what the charges against Ndanga were,” said Karemba, adding that party leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who has castigated intra-party violence and factionalism, had been informed of the fracas.
The rowdy youths, who were baying for Ndanga’s blood, reportedly broke a locked door at the new provincial headquarters situated in Mzari suburb. A provincial executive council meeting which was in progress had to be called off as the youths went on the rampage, singing and toyi-toying, while denouncing the Karemba-led executive accused of failing to stem factionalism.
The move to remove Ndanga, who is a close ally of the provincial chairman, from his post on spying charges, however failed as he has reportedly been cleared of any such suspicions by Harvest House, the MDC-T headquarters in Harare. Ndanga has previously been suspected of being linked to the State spy agency, sources said.
Officials told NewsDay there were simmering divisions within MDC-T in Mashonaland West province with three factions allegedly led by Karemba, national youth representative Charlton Hwende and provincial organiser Wilson Makanyaire reportedly working closely with Tawanda Bvumo, the party’s provincial treasurer.
