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“We the Concerned Women in Bulawayo do hereby express our disgruntlement to the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai over his rampant abuse of women in Zimbabwe, failure to resuscitate industries and create jobs that he promised,” read the petition.
“We are also concerned about his failure to incorporate full devolution of power in the draft constitution and failure to solve the perennial water problems in the Matabeleland region.”
The embarrassed Mr Tsvangirai apologised when he stood up to address the less than 10 000 supporters, for his illicit affairs with Ms Locardia Karimatsenga Tembo and South African Nosipho Shilubane whom he later dropped in favour of new wife Elizabeth Macheka, saying he did not intend to hurt them.
Mr Tsvangirai married Ms Macheka, a widow, in a traditional ceremony after Ms Tembo approached the courts to stop the marriage claiming she was his legitimate wife while Shilubane claimed she was engaged to him.
As has become the norm at the MDC-T events, factionalism also manifested itself at the anniversary.
A group of supporters who were carrying fliers that denigrated Mr Moyo, accused him of sowing divisions which were tearing the party in Bulawayo.
They demanded that the former civic society activist goes back to Zapu 2000.
Mr Moyo, the Minister of State Enterprises and Parastatals contested for a parliamentary seat in 2000 under a Zapu 2000 ticket and lost to Mr David Coltart in the Bulawayo South constituency.
Zapu 2000, which had the likes of Mr Paul Siwela and Mr Agrippa Madlela was viewed by many as a tribal party.
Mr Moyo was elevated to the post of chairperson for Bulawayo much to the disappointment of his bitter rival Mr Matson Hlalo, who is the Senator for Mzilikazi constituency, in an election process that was marred by chaos and violence.
Party insiders who spoke to Chronicle yesterday on condition of anonymity said Mr Moyo, who was the host chairperson, was caught by surprise when MDC-T security personnel intercepted fliers that were denouncing his leadership credentials and accusing him of fanning divisions within the party structures.
“Yes, there was a demonstration against Moyo. The party supporters distributed fliers which had the message: ‘Gorden go back to Zapu 2000. You have destroyed the party in Bulawayo province and where are the jobs you promised us at the congress last year’,” said a party official.
Another party official said MDC-T support was on the decline in Bulawayo judging by the mood during the event.
“It was embarrassing that party supporters demonstrated against Mr Moyo in the presence of the party’s senior leaders. They accused him of dividing the party. The event was on a low note. The mood was gloomy and the crowd was smaller than we are used to,” said a party official.
“If it wasn’t for the party’s security personnel the whole fiasco would have erupted into something ugly, as some of the party youths were calling for the head of the provincial chairperson.”
It is said Mr Moyo temporarily left the celebrations claiming he feared for his life, opting to boycott the whole event but had to be restrained by the party’s provincial organising secretary Mr Albert Mhlanga.
“Mr Moyo was initially meant to give the vote of thanks but because of the chaos, Bulawayo Mayor, Councillor Thaba Moyo had to be called upon to give the vote of thanks.
“So bad was the onslaught on Mr Moyo that when he was chanting the party slogan, only a few responded while the DPM Khupe was only responded to by just a few of her ‘hired’ comrades,” said the official.
When contacted for comment last night, Mr Moyo denied there were protests against him.
“That is a spurious fiction coming from an empty head. I am hearing that for the first time. If someone confuses a standing ovation for a demonstration that person must be having a psychological problem. I am not losing sleep about that,” said Mr Moyo.
Mr Moyo and party deputy leader Ms Thokozani Khupe are believed to be close allies of Mr Tsvangirai.
The two have been accused of being the cause of the recent defections that hit the party in the province.
About 354 MDC-T supporters defected to the Professor Welshman Ncube-led MDC formation citing ill-treatment by their leadership.
There were also allegations that some of the defectors were part of a group of members aligned to Ms Thabitha Khumalo and Sen Hlalo.
Ms Khumalo is one of the victims of the bitter infighting in the party after she was recently demoted from the post of party’s deputy spokesperson.
Her crime, according to party insiders, was that she challenged DPM Khupe for the party’s vice presidency during last year’s congress.
Meanwhile, political analysts have said there was nothing worth celebrating at the anniversary.
They said it was myopic for the MDC-T to celebrate its existence during the year they had been badly exposed.
“As a political party it was difficult for them to celebrate given the problems they have been facing especially around the party president’s private life, which inevitably becomes public because of his status and that is a point of embarrassment,” said Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri, a lecturer in the Department of Media and Society Studies at the Midlands State University.
“In terms of garnering votes, it is the time when they should have made some introspection given the Freedom House survey. It therefore becomes myopic to celebrate when their fortunes are decreasing instead of increasing. The celebrations have a sour taste because they would have wanted majority rule by now but they have failed. I think what they were celebrating was more of their existence than what they have achieved,” Dr Mhiripiri said.
Zanu-PF legislator for Tsholotsho North and political analyst, Professor Jonathan Moyo, said there was nothing worth celebrating for the MDC-T since its formation.
He said the party had no ideology, policy or programme for the people, which warranted celebrations.
They were celebrating the transformation of their party slogan in its 13th year from alleged excellence to proven sexcellence.
“The Bulawayo show was not about ideologies, policy or programme for the people. It was about introducing one of Tsvangirai’s wives and apologising to the other wives and girlfriends. There was also an admission that Tsvangirai has spent his time in the Inclusive Government looking for a wife and abusing women in the process but doing nothing for anyone else,” said Prof Moyo.
Another analyst, Mr Goodwine Mureriwa said the celebrations were about regime change agenda.
He said the formation of the MDC in 1999 was on the eve of the day that Zimbabwe was officially colonised by the British on 12 September, 1890.
“These celebrations were reminding Zimbabweans that a party of colonisers still has the agenda it had at its formation, which is illegal regime change agenda that is reminiscent of the colonisation of this country.
“To right thinking Zimbabweans, 13 years down the line, the MDC-T’s endeavour has been futile because Zanu-PF has taken a position that is in line with the ideals of the liberation struggle.
“The wishes of the majority of Zimbabweans are one of independence, sovereignty and total control over our resources.
“It is unfortunate that the party that purports to stand for democracy is subverting the wishes of the people as expressed through the constitution outreach programme by trying to incorporate alien values and it’s the same party that is refusing to have elections when they are due,” said Mr Mureriwa.
Online Reporter