adminNduduzo Tshuma Senior Political Reporter
TWO MDC-T legislators yesterday defected to the MDC Renewal Team following the chaotic weekend congress in Bulawayo where party leader Morgan Tsvangirai was accused of aiding factions in rigging. The two are Pumula MP Albert Mhlanga and legislator under the proportional representation Gladys Mathe. Mhlanga yesterday said 500 more MDC-T members in the provincial structures would soon be joining the Renewal Team.
The other defectors included Ward 8 councillor Sheila Musonda who claimed that 13 other councillors would soon be announcing their defection.
“I wish to let the public know that it has become virtually impossible for us to continue belonging to that party (MDC-T) anymore,” said Mhlanga.
“In fact it is practically impossible for any sane individual who experiences the events of a provincial congress to ignore the criticism that has been levelled at MDC-T.
“The provincial congress confirmed beyond any reasonable doubt that MDC-T no longer respects the norms and values of democracy and its own constitution.”
Mhlanga alleged that the congress was used by MDC-T deputy president Thokozani Khupe and Abednico Bhebhe to “impose their friends, relatives, financiers and bootlickers” as leaders of the province against the party’s constitution, electoral template and guidelines of the party’s internal democracy.
He said members of the standing committee behaved like “a bunch of petulant school kids, puffing and ranting as they competed in excluding everyone believed to be outside their faction.”
The former MDC-T Bulawayo provincial organising secretary alleged that street kids and hired thugs were smuggled to the provincial congress as delegates. He said there was no attempt to bring order in the process.
“Instead all rules of procedure were bluntly violated and Morgan Tsvangirai was hapless, hopeless and powerless and acted with complicity towards the shenanigans of vote manipulation by his deputy and company,” said Mhlanga.
He said the outcome of the weekend congress confirmed the MDC Renewal Team’s sentiments that the MDC-T is an idea whose time has come and gone and has no moral ground to challenge Zanu-PF.
Mhlanga said while he won Saturday’s election, he did not believe in positions but principle.
“My victory sent the standing committee members panicking and shel-shocked. Their weak intellect directed them to manhandle me and send me out of the congress venue. My only sin was to be voted as the organising secretary for the next five years.
“It was at this point that all hell broke loose and the rigging machinery was brazenly employed. My colleagues in the women and youth assemblies simply could not participate in the electoral facade.
“A comprehensive programme to incorporate our structures with Renewal shall begin soon. We will be unveiling in due course these structures at district level since most of them could not be here for logistical reasons. However, all of them are now fully subscribed members of the Orange Revolution,” he said.
Mhlanga and Mathe were unveiled as MDC Renewal Team members at a Press conference held at the home of party interim chairperson Samuel Sipepa Nkomo in Bulawayo’s Killarney suburb.
Mhlanga said some legislators like Senator Matson Hlalo, who was beaten by deputy Mayor Gift Banda in Saturday’s inconclusive congress, were still consulting on whether or not to join. He said some who were still sitting on the fence included Herbert Madolosi Sinampande from Binga.
Binga North legislator Prince Madubeko Sibanda was initially said to have defected but reports yesterday evening indicated that he changed his mind at the last minute.
Sibanda was the only MDC-T member who was replaced in the interim Matabeleland North executive at a provincial congress on Sunday.
Other members allegedly ganged up against him and replaced him with Mxolisi Ndlovu as provincial secretary.
The legislator, who is facing charges of drugging and raping a 17-year-old schoolgirl, fell out of favour with fellow colleagues in the interim structure led by Thembinkosi Sibindi.
MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora yesterday confirmed Sibindi as substantive chairperson along with the majority members of the interim executive except Sibanda.
Musonda, who was secretary for recruitment and mobilisation, said she worked for the party since its inception but was always frustrated by Khupe.
MDC Renewal Team provincial chairperson Kucaca Phulu welcomed the defecting members saying they did not believe in the violence that was happening in the MDC-T.
Sipepa Nkomo dismissed as a myth that Tsvangirai had the highest number of followers in the opposition arguing that they were the ones who organised the structures and they could equally disorganise them.
He said the MDC-T leader had lost Bulawayo following Saturday’s chaotic provincial congress.
Online Reporter