adminCletus Mushanawani Harare Bureau
MDC-T supporters in Mutare yesterday morning disrupted party leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s meeting with the Manicaland provincial leadership as they demanded the resignition of secretary-general Tendai Biti and other executives.
Biti and other officials, including suspended deputy treasurer Elton Mangoma, are said to be plotting Tsvangirai’s ouster.
The placard-waving members pitched up at MDC-T’s Darlington medium-density suburb offices as early as 8AM, denouncing House of Assembly members Innocent Gonese (Mutare Central), Prosper Mutseyami (Musikavanhu) and Arnold Tsunga (Dangamvura-Chikanga).
Senator Keresencia Chabuka was also not spared, and neither were suspended provincial chairman Julius Magarangoma, suspended spokesperson Pishai Muchauraya and pronvincial treasurer and former Mutare mayor, Brian James.
Officials said to be against Tsvangirai’s leadership were barred from the meeting while others, like losing independent candidate for Mutasa South constituency Regai Tsunga, were jeered.
In a counter-measure, some anti-Tsvangirai supporters were placed at strategic positions in the city centre to spread the rumour that the meeting had been cancelled.
Those who made it to the offices bulldozed past MDC-T director of elections Morgan Komichi, forcing Tsvangirai to briefly stop his meeting to address them.
“We have heard your concerns and we will take with us all your written grievances and address them later,” said Tsvangirai, but demonstrators stayed put and hurled insults at Mutseyami, who is also the provincial organising secretary.
Mutseyami was escorted out of the premises to save him from the mob.
Most of the MDC-T Manicaland provincial executive is said to be anti-Tsvangirai.
“They are being used by (treasurer-general Roy) Bennett who is enjoying a comfortable stay in South Africa yet we are suffering here,” shouted one of the demonstrators.
MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said leadership could only change at a congress.
“People are not removed from their positions through demonstrations or other expressions of dislike… Those being demonstrated against will remain in their positions until all investigations into their conduct are concluded.
“Furthermore, if anybody is suspected of an offence in the party, he or she is subjected to a due process first before any punishment is meted to him or her.
“This is exactly the case with Mangoma who is going to appear before an independent disciplinary tribunal. Mangoma is being disciplined for defying a resolution of the national standing committee as well as the national executive not to debate the contents of his letter in the press. He is not being disciplined for the contents or ideas he expressed in this letter,” he said.
Online Reporter