Blood on the floor as MDC Congress nears

Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter

AS infighting within the opposition MDC-Alliance continues to intensify ahead of the party’s congress in May, two Bulawayo councillors and a Pumula district member have been suspended for alleged gross misconduct.

The two councillors, Alderman Siboniso Khumalo (Ward 27) and Councillor Sikhululekile Moyo (Ward 17) and a Pumula district member, Ms Dorcas Nyoni were reportedly given their suspension letters on 15 March.

The letters were signed by Pumula district chairperson, who is ironically councillor for Ward 19, Alderman Clyton Zana. The three were accused of gross misconduct and violating the party’s constitution by fanning factional fights within party structures and calling for unsanctioned meetings to push a faction’s agenda.

Contacted for comment, Ald Zana declined to comment saying while he was aware of the matter, he was not sanctioned by the party to talk to the media. Ald Khumalo, however, confirmed receiving the purported suspension notice but questioned its validity revealing that the party had received a directive to halt all suspensions and expulsions until after the congress.

“Who are they to go against a party directive? It is clear that all they want is to push their own factional agendas. The party has made it clear that no suspensions or expulsions will take place until after the congress.

Their suspension letters were dated 15 March and the party directive came on 22 March, that is as good as a response to them. If they are saying they will disregard that directive my question then becomes who are they reporting to in the party? Clearly they have their own leader,” said Ald Khumalo.

Clr Moyo said she had not officially received the communication on her suspension but had just heard rumours and was waiting for the official letter before she could plan her next move.

MDC-Alliance Bulawayo provincial deputy spokesperson, Mr Edwin Ndlovu said while the party had not received any written or verbal communication from the Pumula district leadership they stood guided by a directive from the party that no suspensions or expulsions could take place until after the holding of the party’s congress.

“We have not yet received any letter indicating these suspensions nor any verbal communication from the district leadership, in any case the district cannot suspend district members, the best they can do is to recommend but since congress date has been set the party has made it clear that there should not be any expulsions until we have finished the business of the congress,” said Mr Ndlovu.

According to a letter detailing the directive, signed by the party’s secretary-general, Mr Douglas Mwonzora, the decision to stop any suspensions or expulsions was reached by the party’s national standing committee.

A party source revealed that there were fears of more suspensions as members tried to position themselves ahead of the congress.

“Basically there are two factions, the main one being the Cobra faction led by the national chairperson, Thabitha Khumalo. This faction is made up of people who wanted the Alliance but in reality did not want Alliance members holding positions within the Alliance, this is the faction opposed to Professor Welshman Ncube becoming the party’s vice-president. When you look at Clr Moyo, she came in as an Alliance member and is a known workaholic therefore there are fears that she might easily rise within the party hence the move to suspend her,” said the source.

MDC Alliance will be holding its congress on 24 to 26 May.