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Bulawayo Bureau
MDC-T vice president Thokozani Khupe yesterday failed to turn up for her party’s anti-election rally in Victoria Falls as the beleaguered opposition party’s support base shrinks.
The rally, which was dubbed “No reforms, no elections star rally,” was supposed to start at 11am, but only started after 2pm and lasted just 30 minutes.
Less than 70 people, including the provincial leadership, could be counted in Chinotimba Hall while Ms Khupe was said to be unwell.
The MDC-T vice president addressed a similar rally in Jambezi outside Victoria Falls town on Thursday afternoon and stayed away yesterday.
Interestingly, the party used posters it used for the June 27, 2008 presidential run-off to invite people for yesterday’s rally as it emerged it was broke.
Hwange West district chairman Champion Moyo and the party’s provincial organising secretary, Mxolisi Ndlovu, told the party members that another rally will be organised.
The notable individuals at the meeting were provincial women’s chairperson Kwazi Sibanda, Hwange West MP Brian Tshuma, his counterpart from Binga Joel Gabbuza and national council member Phyllis Ndlovu who were joined by six councillors from Victoria Falls.
Moyo said the rally was meant to resuscitate the party’s grassroots structures.
He admitted that the party was broke and could not 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 Tendai Biti and Treasurer Elton Mangoma for “taking our money with them”.
In a brief interview after the failed rally, Moyo admitted that the party was broke.
Online Reporter