Khupe in no show for Falls rally

Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
MDC-T vice-president Ms Thokozani Khupe on Friday was in no-show for her party’s rally in Victoria Falls probably out of shame to address a depleted crowd as the beleaguered opposition party failed to draw supporters.

The rally, which was ironically dubbed “No reforms, No elections star rally,” was supposed to start at 11am but only started after 2pm and lasted only 30 minutes as it was postponed to a later date.

Less than 70 people, including provincial leadership could be counted at the venue – Chinotimba Hall – while Ms Khupe was said to be unwell and “stuck” somewhere in the resort town.

She had, however, addressed a similar rally in Jambezi outside Victoria Falls town on Thursday afternoon and possibly stayed away on Friday because there was no crowd to address.

It would have been interesting to see how Ms Khupe – who is reportedly not in good books with party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai over his decision to boycott the 10 June by-elections – would have addressed party members.

Interestingly, the party used posters it used for the 27 June 2008 Presidential run-off to invite people for the Friday rally as it emerged the party was broke.

Hwange West district chairman Mr Champion Moyo and the party’s provincial organising secretary Mr Mxolisi Ndlovu had to briefly address party members before postponing the meeting saying a new date would be set.

Notable individuals at the meeting were provincial women’s chair Ms Kwazi Sibanda, who is also a Member of Parliament, Hwange West MP Mr Brian Tshuma, his counterpart from Binga Mr Joel Gabbuza and national council member Mr Phyllis Ndlovu, who were joined by six councillors from Victoria Falls.

Mr Moyo said the rally had been meant to resuscitate the party’s grassroots structures.

He admitted that the party was broke as it failed to print new posters.

“The attendance is very low because people thought they would be asked to pay some money as the party doesn’t have money,” he said, while blaming former secretary general Mr Tendai Biti and former treasurer Mr Elton Mangoma for “taking our money with them”.

In a brief interview after the failed rally, Mr Moyo admitted that the party was broke.

“We organised the rallies as districts as we wanted the national leadership to meet party members because it’s been long since President Tsvangirai was here but they couldn’t come because of finances. In Jambezi it’s been 10 years since he was there and we wanted people to meet their leaders as we organise our structures.

“We used the 2008 posters because we did not get anything printed from the national office as we were doing this as districts. Deputy president Khupe, we are told, is not feeling well after finishing yesterday’s rally very late,” said Moyo.

The organising secretary, Mr Ndlovu, said they would reschedule the rally as he blamed low turnout on communication breakdown.

The party’s executive was supposed to meet in Hwange yesterday.

“There was a communication breakdown as people thought that this was meant to be a meeting for structures only. But we have to correct this. Ward chairpersons you should go back and mobilise people for the next rally which we will call after the Saturday meeting,” he said.

It couldn’t be established where Ms Khupe spent the day in the resort town. Ms Khupe recently broke down and cried uncontrollably during the party’s national council meeting in Harare after receiving a barrage of insults from protesters who were not happy with her push for the party to contest in the 10 June parliamentary by-elections.