adminHowever, the party’s provincial executive has since written a letter to head office in Harare describing the suspensions as unconstitutional.
Party insiders said several other officials including the Hwange Central MP Mr Brian Tshuma, Hwange Rural District Council chairman Mr Cosmas Ndlovu and his entire team of councillors are targeted for suspension.
The other official is Victoria Falls deputy mayor Ms Patricia Mwale who is alleged to be too close to Mayor Nkosilathi Jiyane who resigned from the party following moves to suspend him over alleged links to Zanu-PF.
“Factionalism has turned nasty here. Ms Khupe has imported the in-fighting from Bulawayo to Matabeleland North. Mr Sibindi and Ms Kheswa were suspended at the weekend just because they opposed Ms Khupe’s ambitions to contest for Bubi constituency. A number of officials are also lined up for suspension,” said the source.
“Mr Tshuma and Mr Ndlovu are accused of dining with Zanu-PF after they were seen attending a rally that was organised by Umguza MP Dr Obert Mpofu at Dinde Secondary School recently. The entire Hwange RDC is also being targeted because it is said to be too sympathetic to Zanu-PF.”
At the moment Bubi constituency is held by Cde Clifford Sibanda of Zanu-PF.
Party insiders said the province was opposed to the candidature of Mr Abednigo Bhebhe, the party’s deputy national organising secretary in Nkayi South constituency and Mr Njabuliso Mguni in Lupane East.
Mr Bhebhe and Mr Mguni, who were suspended from the rival Professor Welshman Ncube-led MDC, joined the MDC-T last year.
“We have our own candidates for these constituencies and we cannot allow these two to overtake us when they are just newcomers,” said another party member who preferred anonymity.
“We are also not happy about the imposition of Mrs Rosemary Nkomo, wife to Mr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, who wants to contest for Tsholotsho South. She is a mafikizolo and a political novice.”
Mr Sipepa Nkomo is the MDC-T MP for Lobengula constituency and Minister of Water Resources Development and Management.
The source said Mr Chikwinya arrived in the province on Friday and is being accompanied by Mr Victor Mapungwane, a member of the MDC-T national executive based in Bulawayo and Mr Wilson Boxer from the party’s security department in Harare.
It is understood that on Saturday the provincial chairman, Mr Sengezo Tshabangu called a meeting at the party’s Mpumalanga offices in Hwange where the two were suspended.
The meeting was also attended by Hwange West MP Mr Gift Mabhena, the party’s provincial secretary and Ms Mwale who chairs the provincial women’s assembly.
Sources said Ms Khupe’s actions were a result of her loss of support in Makokoba constituency in Bulawayo, which she represents in the House of Assembly.
They said Ms Khupe was working in cahoots with Mr Bhebhe to remove hostile elements against her “penetration” into Bubi constituency.
In their letter dated 28 October 2012, a copy which Chronicle is in possession of, the provincial executive said the suspension of their members was not constitutional.
“We dissociate ourselves from the decision which was taken by the provincial chairman and his cliques of suspending the provincial organiser and the deputy secretary,” read part of the four page letter.
“We have decided to write this report because of what we perceive to be unbecoming behaviour of Mr Tshabangu. His conduct has caused irreparable damage to the party that may cost us in the forthcoming elections. The suspension was not adopted by the house or executive. It was only his (Mr Tshabangu) clique who proposed and seconded the move.”
Mr Tshabangu confirmed the presence of Mr Chikwinya’s team in the province but said their mission was to investigate corruption in their local authorities.
“I will only say things that are in my jurisdiction. Yes there is an investigating team led by Honourable Chikwinya. They are investigating local authorities, investigating any acts of corruption in our councils.
“The issue of suspension I cannot confirm now because they have not yet been served with suspension papers,” said Mr Tshabangu without elaborating.
The MDC-T has been also been dogged by factionalism in Bulawayo with rival factions aligned to provincial chairman Mr Gorden Moyo and Mzilikazi Senator Matson Hlalo fighting running battles since Mr Moyo’s election as chair last year.
The party’s former deputy spokesperson Ms Thabitha Khumalo is one of the victims of the ugly in-fighting within MDC-T as she has lost her post as party deputy spokesperson.
The in-fighting also manifested itself during the party’s 13th anniversary at White City Stadium as members openly demonstrated against Mr Moyo’s leadership and denigrated their party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai for his sexual escapades.
A number of MDC-T supporters in Makokoba defected to Prof Ncube’s formation as a result of factionalism.
Online Reporter