Factionalism blights MDC-T’s 13th anniversary

Chamisa went to Bulawayo after the party got wind that factionalism and in-fighting were going to be played up at the celebrations.
Sources said a special national council meeting was called yesterday ostensibly to discuss the mayhem ahead of the event.
MDC-T’s Bulawayo province has of late become an epitome of factionalism and intra party violence.
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora confirmed the holding of the national council meeting, but described it as routine.
“Preparations for the 13th anniversary are on course,” he said. We are having a special national council meeting today to discuss arrangements of the anniversary.” Mr Mwonzora denied reports that MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was likely to use the event to clear the mess surrounding his love life.
Mr Tsvangirai is under pressure to reassure party supporters that he is still a credible leader after the damaging flirtation he had with several women. He is entangled in a messy love triangle involving several women in and outside Zimbabwe.
A fortnight ago Mr Tsvangirai ended up marrying Ms Elizabeth Macheka under the customary law after his first wife Locardia Karimatsenga Tembo successfully challenged his intended wedding. A South African woman, Nosipho Shilubane, also dragged Mr Tsvangirai to the courts and revealed intimate details of their relationship.
But Mr Mwonzora said his boss would not be under pressure to explain to the people about his private life. “The president is going to deliver his keynote address only on the business at hand. What he will talk about remains to be seen and I do not want to pre-empt his speech,” he said.
“He is under no pressure at all and he is very relaxed.”
Mr Mwonzora said Mr Chamisa’s early departure to Bulawayo was a “usual” party procedure.
As the organising secretary, Mr Mwonzora said, Mr Chamisa was supposed to be part of the advance team to do preparations.
Insiders insisted that Mr Chamisa was dispatched to deal with challenges affecting the party ahead of today’s celebrations.
“All is not well in the party. The leadership wanted to avoid embarrassment when they come today and that is why Chamisa was dispatched here early,” said the source.
MDC-T is facing serious defections in Bulawayo where party members are joining the Professor Welshman Ncube-led MDC en-masse.
This was after the MDC-T leadership imposed Mr Gorden Moyo as the party’s Bulawayo provincial chairman last year ahead of the highly favoured Matson Hlalo.