SECESSIONIST Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has given Thokozani Khupe’s MDC-T faction a tongue-lashing after attending an extraordinary congress organised by the faction in Bulawayo on Saturday.
By NQOBANI NDLOVU
MRP president Mqondisi Moyo told MDC-T delegates that the decision to attend the faction’s congress was a public relations disaster for the Matabeleland-based political party.
“We are here as MRP as a result of your invitation that we accepted with humility and honour,” he said.
“Our being here was not an easy decision to take, considering the intra and inter-party squabbles taking part in the current political landscape. We took this decision to honour your invitation, mindful of the enormous public relations nightmare and propaganda that we will have to deal with later.
“We chose to be here because we don’t know why you decided to honour us, hence had no reason to decline. We chose to be here because we had a perception, though not verified yet, that this is not the same MDC that has partnered with the tribal architects to oppress the people of Mthwakazi.
“We chose to be here because we want to know what is this. I believe that everyone who is here knows very well, our perception of the MDC Tsvangirai. The invitation that we got said we were coming to MDC-Thokozani, hence our being here today.”
The MDC-T split into two camps last month as Nelson Chamisa and Khupe fought for control of the party following the death of its founder Morgan Tsvangirai in February.
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The MRP and the People’s Rainbow Coalition (PRC) — a loose coalition of opposition parties which have not joined ranks with the Joice Mujuru-led National People’s Party — were in attendance.
The PRC was represented by People’s Democratic Party leader Lucia Matibenga.
Khupe’s officials claimed they had also invited Chamisa, but MDC-T Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Felix Magalela Sibanda dismissed the remarks as “nonsense”.
