Commotion as MDC-T aborts meeting

THE embattled MDC-T party last night prematurely aborted a meeting to elect Bulawayo provincial chairperson in the city after members clashed over attempts by the party’s national executive to block the election of Bulawayo deputy mayor Councillor Gift Banda to the helm of the party in the province.

The party had reportedly dispatched their national organising secretary, Mr Nelson Chamisa to conduct the elections that were meant to replace Makokoba legislator Mr Gorden Moyo, who resigned from the position amid claims that he had joined the party’s former secretary general, Mr Tendai Biti’s MDC leadership renewal project.

It is reported Mr Chamisa had come to the meeting armed with a template setting the conditions to be met for one to be elected to the vacant positions but during the meeting he deliberately left out a clause which left Clr Banda disqualified from participating.

“Mr Chamisa came to the meeting with a template which he did not know was already available in the province, therefore, when he set down the conditions it was clear that he had omitted a certain provision, which left the deputy mayor disqualified.

“That is when people started to jeer because for the past week it had been rumoured that Chamisa and his team have been pushing for the disqualification of Clr Banda, who has been regarded as being too new in the party to hold such a position although he commands a huge following in the provincial structures,” said the party source.

The source said when Mr Chamisa tried to explain party members started throwing tantrums with some threatening violence.
“Chamisa had to leave the meeting abruptly and that was the end of the proceedings. People were angry,” said the source.

According to the template seen by Sunday News, the party states that someone should have been a card carrying member in the party for a minimum of five years to make it into a provincial position.

“One cannot be elected into office in a particular organ if they have not had a position of responsibility,” reads part of the party’s template.
It, however, sets aside this condition if one is in a position of responsibility, a clause which Mr Chamisa allegedly omitted as a way of disqualifying Clr Banda.

Party sources revealed that Bulawayo East legislator, Ms Thabitha Khumalo, had been earmarked by the party’s national organising team to take over the chairpersonship but after it had been noted that Clr Banda, who initially was considered as a wild card, was winning, they were forced to throw spanners in the process which resulted in the chaos.

Efforts to get a comment from either Clr Banda or Mr Chamisa were, however, fruitless as both their mobile phones were not reachable.
The party had to fill positions in the province, which are the chairperson, secretary, deputy secretary and information and publicity secretary.

Contacted for comment the party’s acting chairperson, Ms Dorcas Sibanda confirmed that the province had held a provincial assembly meeting but said this was not an elective meeting but was meant to lay the groundwork on conditions of the elections for the positions.

She said there was no short cut in being a leader in the party but noted that every party member was clear on the conditions and procedures to be met if one was interested in becoming a district, provincial or national leader.

“You cannot bribe anyone to be a leader, one has to just follow the procedures, you have to realise that the party does not just jump to such decisions but procedures are followed,” said Ms Sibanda.

She, however, refused to state when an elective provincial meeting would be held.