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Nduduzo Tshuma Political Editor
FRESH purges are looming within the MDC-T Bulawayo province following chaos at Nkulumane legislator Thamsanqa Mahlangu’s burial at the weekend where party youths clashed along factional lines.
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, already caught up in the party’s factional politics, snubbed the Saturday burial reportedly on the advice of a faction led by vice president Thokozani Khupe that is pitted against one aligned to former organising secretary Nelson Chamisa.
This was after the party got itself involved in a feud between Mahlangu paternal father’s family, the Sangos and his step-father’s, the Mugovas, over the funeral and burial processes.
Tsvangirai directed that an investigation be carried out and names of culprits brought to book but already members have expressed fears that the investigations are a disguised purge on those aligned to Chamisa.
After the Saturday fracas, the party held a meeting on Sunday at its Bulawayo provincial offices where a number of officials were fingered as having caused the skirmishes.
The meeting, addressed by Bulawayo deputy mayor Gift Banda, who is involved in a legal wrangle with political foe Matson Hlalo for the provincial chairperson’s post, reportedly came up with a number of names to be submitted for censure.
“A number of names were raised in the meeting including the likes of Tshepiso Mpofu, councillors Reuben Matengu and Earnest Rafomoyo among others accused of causing chaos at Mahlangu’s burial,” said a source within the MDC-T.
“In the meeting, Banda said the party could do without the elements that caused chaos at Mahlangu’s burial. He said the party could start afresh like it did after the 2005 split. We understand that a list is being compiled to be forwarded to Harare for censure.”
Meanwhile, as the factional fights continue to rock the fractious party, one member aligned to the Khupe faction has accused the party’s national chairman Lovemore Moyo and other senior officials of having a hand in the weekend skirmishes.
The official wrote on a WhatsApp chat group called Eastern Igwe, accusing Moyo of trying to “throw Tsvangirai into the deep end” by addressing mourners at Mugova’s house.
The official, a former driver to Khupe, also singled out party legislators Nicky Brown, Dorcas Sibanda, Matson Hlalo and Thabitha Khumalo along with Mpofu and Swithern Chirowodza for causing “problems” at Mahlangu’s burial.
“It’s certainly not for the national chairman to individually try to grandstand and absolve himself when personally he led the president down the garden path. The party doesn’t give all those powers to the national chairman so that he goes around avoiding making decisions and initiatives,” wrote the official.
“He must make decisions, right ones or wrong ones and live by them. He made none at Mahlangu’s funeral and decided to play holier than thou later. No ways Chairman. Just face the music.”
Banda was unavailable for comment yesterday while MDC-T Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Mandla Sibanda said they were investigating the matter “as per instruction from president Tsvangirai as to what caused the chaos”.
“The findings, when the investigations are done, will then be sent to Tsvangirai and at that point be made public.”
The party yesterday said it would not field any candidate in the Nkulumane by-election following the death of Mahlangu.
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu said the party was sticking to its earlier resolution to boycott elections “until there are reforms.”
“Without reforms we’re not going to participate in any election. That’s a standing resolution we made at our congress. It’s very clear and unequivocal,” he said.
Online Reporter