MDC-T battles to clear mess ahead of congress

characterised the Bulawayo provincial leadership elections ahead of its congress, which starts tomorrow.
Bulawayo is hosting the congress, which will end on Saturday.
Last night, senior party leaders were still locked at its provincial offices between 3rd and Second Avenues along Fort Street where they were conducting elections to choose the leadership for the main wing, Women’s Assembly and Youth Wing for Bulawayo.
Party officials told our Bureau last night that security officers assigned to the party leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, were monitoring the elections presided over by Mr Fidelis Mhashu and Mr Blessing Chebundo.
Mr Mhashu is the Member of Parliament for Chitungwiza North while Mr Chebundo represents Kwekwe Central in Parliament.
The elections to choose new leadership for the province has been aborted on a number of occasions as two rival camps belonging to Mr Matson Hlalo and those loyal to newly elected chair, Mr Gorden Moyo, unleashed a reign of terror and attacked each other with stones, empty bottles and fists.
The violence, which has seen several alleged thugs being arrested while others have also been injured, has threatened to tear the party apart.
The party leadership led by its president Mr Tsvangirai on Monday endorsed Mr Moyo in a closed meeting that lasted for more than two hours at the party offices.
The leadership resolved that the election of Bulawayo Central MP, Ms Dorcas Sibanda, as the vice-chair and Mr Reggie Moyo, the MP for Luveve, as secretary were constitutional and yesterday’s elections were for other posts that had not been done when the elections were abandoned three weeks ago.
Yesterday’s election started at about 10am and by 8pm they were still on.
Scores of party supporters, most of them believed to be aligned to Mr Hlalo were seen gathered all over Fort Street near the party provincial offices and by last night they were still at the venue.
Some youths expressed dissatisfaction before the elections had been finished as they maintained that the party was imposing candidates on them.
“We are not happy at all. The party should have looked at where the problems are emanating from before continuing with the elections.
“The problems started when Moyo (Gorden) was picked to be the candidate for Bulawayo when he has not been a member of the party.
“He might have cards and everything but we have never seen him working with any district or ward structures and we also never saw him campaigning.
“We cannot have Dorcas as vice chairperson. Who will she lead?” said a youth in front of the offices.
Mr Tsvangirai himself was said to be somewhere in the city when elections were being held.
“He is somewhere in the city and he is anxious to have this issue sorted out because it has been embarrassing to the party and himself as the leader,” said a senior party official, who asked not to be named.
Mr Tsvangirai has been moving around the provinces in a bid to heal the wounds inflicted on the party by recent violence and harmonise the divisions ahead of the main congress.
Insiders from the party said at the Monday meeting, Mr Tsvangirai was worried about factionalism and condemned violence among the youths.