admin
from the Professor Welshman Ncube-led formation won in the party’s primaries held on Tuesday. The province has been battling to contain deep-seated factionalism in the run-up to its primaries with party structures accusing the senior leadership of imposing candidates,especially those who defected from Prof Ncube’s MDC formation.
Observers said the return of Mr Abednico Bhebhe, who is the MDC-T deputy organising secretary, Mr Njabuliso Mguni, Mr Maxwell Dube, Mr Thembinkosi Sibindi and Mr Dalumuzi Khumalo had widened fissures within the party structures as “loyal” party members felt sidelined.
Mr Sibindi, a former Mayor of Victoria Falls, who is challenging Hwange West MP Gift Mabhena, who has not been confirmed, was expected to win the primaries.
Although provincial chairman Mr Sengezo Tshabangu said voting went on smoothly, insiders yesterday said the outcome was manipulated to accommodate omafikizolo (Johnny come-latelies).
“There is no point in putting newcomers as candidates ahead of old members who have been loyal to the party for years since the 2005 split.
“The MDC-T will be defeated come election time because people are very bitter about this issue,” a senior party official in Matabeleland North said.
Read More…
Mrs Roseline Nkomo, wife to Lobengula MP Mr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, is part of the group that is facing rejection by party structures as she is regarded as junior.
Mr Bhebhe and Mr Mguni will contest in Nkayi South and Lupane East constituencies respectively while Mrs Nkomo was likely to face Professor Jonathan Moyo in Tsholotsho North.
Party members said Mrs Nkomo won because she was riding on her husband’s shoulders.
They said the nomination of newcomers would weaken the party ahead of elections because they did not have grassroots support.
In Bubi constituency, Mr Mark Harold Ncube won the primaries while Mr Lulindo Masuku, who was defeated by the incumbent MP Dr Obert Mpofu in 2008, won the Umguza poll.
Party members said results for Bubi constituency were tampered with.
They also said the voting process in Lupane West was marred by conflict in Dandanda and Kwalayi centres where voters reportedly protested against Mr Khumalo’s candidature.
Mr Khumalo is the Senator for Lupane.
Elections failed to kick off in Tsholotsho South where party members reportedly blocked Mr Dube (who also defected from the MDC), saying he was too junior to occupy the post ahead of seniors.
Sitting MPs Mr Brian Tshuma (Hwange Centra), Mr Joel Gabbuza Gabuza (Binga South) and Mr Wesley Sansole (Hwange East) were the only confirmed sitting candidates.
Their counterparts, Binga North MP Mr Patrick Sibanda and Hwange West MP Mr Gift Mabhena were not confirmed after they failed to garner the two thirds majority vote.
Meanwhile, party supporters reportedly boycotted primary elections in Matobo South constituency in protest against the “imposition” of Mr Gabriel Ndebele, the sitting MP to represent them in the coming elections.
Sources within the party yesterday said supporters had to leave the venue of the primary elections that were held at a homestead in Matobo South after only the senior leadership was allowed to vote during the confirmation of Mr Ndebele.
Meanwhile, primary elections to choose the 26 parliamentary candidates in the faction-riddled MDC-T in Masvingo were scheduled to be held this Saturday but have since been postponed to June 8.
Sources within the party say that several sitting legislators were not happy with the composition of electoral colleges that would participate in the confirmation exercise.
The sources said MDC-T officials from the party’s Harvest House headquarters recently descended on Masvingo and announced the electoral colleges comprising ward and district officials who are supposed to vote during the confirmation exercise in all the 26 parliamentary constituencies in Masvingo.
This allegedly precipitated a flurry of petitions to the party’s national leadership as most of the bigwigs and sitting MPs were not happy with the composition of the electoral colleges in over 20 constituencies.
MDC-T Midlands South province yesterday conducted its primary elections and confirmation exercise with violence erupting in some areas.
The primary elections for Chiwundura constituency were abandoned after police moved in to disperse people following clashes over alleged vote rigging.
When Chronicle arrived at Mkoba Golf Course, venue for the primary elections for Chiwundura constituency, party members were singing and toy-toying while some could be seen pushing and shoving each other as tempers flared.
Police in riot gear later moved in and dispersed the party supporters at around 7pm as party rivals clashed.
This was after repeated efforts by the national team led by deputy organising secretary Mr Morgan Komichi failed to calm the party supporters who accused officials of denying members in structures the right to vote.
At Mtapa Hall, the confirmation process for Gweru Urban constituency, which saw the incumbent Member of Parliament, Mr Roderick Rutswara, failing to automatically represent the party, started late in the afternoon following reports of violent clashes in the morning.
At around 3pm yesterday, party national chairman Mr Lovemore Moyo, was addressing party members while police in riot gear could be seen milling around.
Disgruntled members said the confusion in most centres was being caused by officials who were allowing people who were not in the party structures to participate in the voting process.
They said some of the names which appeared in the voter’s roll were not known.
“We don’t know where the party officials got the names of people who are being allowed to vote here, people in my ward are being barred from casting their votes and the people who are being allowed to get into the hall to cast their votes are not known here,” said one of the party members from Ward Six.
Another party member who failed to cast his vote in Chiwundura constituency accused the aspiring party candidate, Mr Timothy Mukahlera, who was leading when the voting process was abandoned, of bussing people.
“This process is in shambles and I think these results should be nullified, the reason why Mr Mukahlera is leading here is that all the people who are participating in the voting process are not under Chiwundura constituency. They have been bussed from within Gweru city,” she said.
Meanwhile, in Mkoba constituency, the confirmation exercise saw the incumbent MP Mr Amos Chibaya being confirmed as the party candidate.
The voting exercise in the primary election for Vungu Constituency where former disc jockey, Ezra “Tshisa” Sibanda is contesting a Bulawayo businessman, Mr Mark Moyo in the race to represent the party was still in progress at the time of going to press. Bulawayo, — Midlands and Masvingo Bureaux
Online Reporter