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Albert Chavhunduka Harare Bureau
MDC Renewal Team says it has the support of African diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe whom it claims appreciate its struggle for democracy and the removal of MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai from the helm of the opposition party.
Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, MDC treasurer-general, Elton Mangoma, said the African diplomats were pleased with the progress that the new MDC faction was making.
He, however, could not name the diplomats citing diplomatic reasons.
“We met with the African diplomats and they were very thrilled that we called them in line with our Pan-African outlook and we discussed very wide-ranging issues and they wanted clarity on a number of issues some of them concerning our political direction.
“We indicated to them that we want to be Pan-African in outlook and we want to solve the problems of Zimbabwe and problems of Africa and that we should work together and that we want democracy to spread through. We want the space to be given, we want peace in Africa and in our country and that we are doing everything and they were so very happy with that,” said Mangoma.
The MDC-T camp led by Tendai Biti, met at Mandel Training Centre last month and suspended Tsvangirai and five top leaders for violating the party’s constitution and using violence to deal with political opponents.
They installed the party’s guardian council to lead the party on an interim basis.
However, in retaliation, Tsvangirai went on to expel from the party all those who attended the Mandel meeting, but as with his colleagues at Mandel, his national council meeting did not constitute a quorum.
Mangoma said they discussed various issues with the foreign diplomats especially those surrounding the political environment in the country and the opposition party.
“We also talked again about the issues surrounding the recent past events; some of them were interested in the legal interpretation which they were given to their satisfaction and certainly our openness. I can say it was a very open and frank discussion on the environment and everything else that has happened in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa.
“They were also pleased that our first diplomatic briefing was with them and they felt very honoured and we were also grateful that they could come and they were eager not to hear things second hand and third hand but they were able to hear things fairly and from the horse’s mouth,” he said.
“We also pledged that if they need any other clarifications we should make contact and that the doors were open because sometimes when things are reported elsewhere, it is different from things on the ground.”
Mangoma said his party would continue to interact with other foreign diplomats who were supporting their cause apart from the West.
“We will meet other diplomats as we see fit but at this stage it might not be the western diplomats, it might be diplomats from maybe Asia and so on,” he said.
Online Reporter