Drama as MDC-T supporters disown party candidate

Morgan Tsvangirai’s rally openly vowed never to vote for the party’s candidate for Magunje constituency because he had been imposed.

The pandemonium occurred soon after Mr Tsvangirai had given his speech and was being introduced to the party’s council and parliamentary candidates.

All hell broke loose when MDC-T candidate for Magunje constituency, Mr Tawanda Magunje’s turn came.

There were shouts and choruses of booing: “Haasi kuzohwina munhu iyeye! Akabirira! Hatimuzive ngaaende anovhoterwa kuBulawayo hatisi kuzombomuvhotera kuno! (He will never win the election! He stole the primary elections vote! We don’t know him, let those in Bulawayo vote for him not us!)”

Mr Tsvangirai never responded to the interruption, although he looked unsettled.
Four candidates are vying for the National Assembly seat in Magunje.

They are Dr Godfrey Gandawa (Zanu- PF), Tonderai Kusemamuriwo (independent), Tawanda Magunje (MDC-T) and Godfrey Kadenhe (MDC). Kusemamuriwo went independent after losing to Tawanda Magunje in MDC-T primary elections suspected to have been heavily rigged.

Mr Magunje is a Bulawayo-based businessman, while Kusemamuriwo owns businesses at Magunje Growth Point.
Mr Tsvangirai has met with resistance from supporters in other areas who are vowing not to vote for certain candidates for rigging primary elections.

He was stunned at his other rally in Masvingo on Sunday after his supporters openly booed some of their candidates while they were being introduced to him. They shouted that the candidates had been imposed on them during primary elections.

An apparently annoyed Mr Tsvangirai then angrily reacted to the supporters, telling them to keep quiet because they had stayed at home instead of going out to vote for candidates of their choice during his party’s primary elections. “Maive kumba musipo. Iko zvino motanga kuti vakaimpozwa. Maiti vanosarudzwa nani? Ndochii ichocho? You should not just complain when you stayed at home instead of voting for people whom you wanted to become your candidates,’’ charged the visibly frustrated Mr Tsvangirai.

Less than five out of the 26 House of Assembly candidates that were introduced to party MDC-T supporters before Mr Tsvangirai at Mucheke were applauded, while the crowd remained indifferent to the other candidates.