MDC-T Masvingo incorporates ‘3 losers’

The three had lost elections prior to the 2011 national congress in Bulawayo.
Sources in the party yesterday said MDC-T national organising department led by Mr Nelson Chamisa ordered the co-option of three party officials in Masvingo as a way of trying to heal divisions rocking the party.

It has since emerged that the MDC-T created three new posts in its provincial executive namely secretaries for the disabled, international relations and parliamentary and constitutional affairs in a bid to contain runaway factionalism.

There are two feuding factions in the Masvingo MDC-T province with one being led by provincial chairman Mr Wistaf Sitemere reportedly aligned to party secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti while another led by Mr Benard Chiondegwa is reportedly linked to former national party organising secretary Mr Elias Mudzuri who was defeated by Mr Chamisa at the last congress.

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Sources in the party said three members aligned to the Mudzuri faction; Zaka West legislator Mr Festus Dumbu, Masvingo West legislator Mr Tichaona Chiminya and Bikita district party leader Mr John Nyika had been co-opted into the expanded Masvingo provincial executive.

They added that the creation of the three new posts and subsequent co-option of three pillars from the Mudzuri faction was a desperate attempt to plug factional loopholes and intense infighting that is threatening to tear the MDC-T in Masvingo.

MDC-T Masvingo provincial spokesperson Mr Harrison Mudzuri yesterday confirmed the co-option of three party members into the province executive. Mr Mudzuri conceded that the co-option was done at the instigation of the party’s national organising department but denied the existence of factions in his party in Masvingo.

“It is true that we co-opted Messrs Chiminya, Nyika and Dumbu into our party’s provincial executive which was expanded by the national leadership by adding three new portifolios. The portifolios are disability, international relations and parliamentary affairs but the the co-option of the three has nothing to do with the so-called factionalism,” he said.

He said the co-options were done after recommendations from the national organising department to promote unity and cohesion in the party.

“There is nothing called factions in our party. We are busy trying to make sure that when people contest for positions under the same party that is as far it goes at the end of the day, we remain one family and that is what is happening,’’ said Mr Mudzuri.