MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday watched helplessly as party members openly traded factional insults in his face and threatened to disrupt his campaign rally in Norton, 40km west of Harare.
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The drama started when members of the Chitungwiza youth assembly and other supporters booed provincial chairman Alexio Musundire and denied him the platform to address the crowd accusing him of being sympathetic to a faction led by axed secretary-general Tendai Biti.
However, Musundire, who has denied being a Biti follower, put on a brave face grabbed the microphone and started chanting party slogans as he prepared to introduce the provincial leadership, but the restive crowd continued to jeer at him.
This prompted MDC-T organising secretary Nelson Chamisa to jump on stage and rescue the party’s Zengeza East MP and instead reprimanded party members for washing their dirty linen in the public.
“This is an MDC meeting and as organiser I am expected to maintain discipline and order,” Chamisa said.
“People choose leadership from congress and those leaders should be introduced here. I will not take this nonsense and will not tolerate populism, you choose leadership at congress and should stop that nonsense here,” he said.
Two weeks ago, Musundire was also fingered as having caused the arrest of 11 party members after they allegedly denigrated him at another MDC-T meeting and labelled him as sympathetic to Biti and axed deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma.
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A few weeks ago, Musundire survived an attempt to suspend him over the same allegations.
In his speech, Tsvangirai denounced violence and intolerance among party members, urging supporters to fight Zanu PF as a united front.
“The MDC is the only agent of change in this country, nothing else. I hear recently that [President Robert] Mugabe set a taskforce to destroy the MDC. Do you set up a taskforce to destroy the people instead of a taskforce to help the people?” he asked.
“I heard others talking about sell-outs; we are against violence in this party. We are a tolerant party and we don’t need violence that will not bring food on the table.
“If the fury you show on other supporters is shown on Zanu PF, we would win,” he said.
Tsvangirai said at the rate with which the economy was sliding, Mugabe risked a military revolt.
“There will come a time the soldiers, police and civilians will say let’s march against Mugabe, let’s march for food, the day will come and they know that,” the former Premier said.
“Our problem is not economic; it is a political problem and as long as Mugabe is there, he is a national liability. Not even one person respects Zimbabwe because they say it’s being run by a dictator.”
Speaking at the same meeting, acting party deputy treasurer Theresa Makone accused Biti and Mangoma of looting party resources.
Tsvangirai and a group of senior MDC-T officials led by Biti recently parted ways citing irreconcilable differences.
The Biti faction immediately “suspended” Tsvangirai and his lieutenants before the latter turned the heat against their opponents and “fired” them from the party.
The factions are now fighting for control of the party and its assets.
