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Temba Dube, Senior Reporter
THE candidate who won MDC-T’s Pelandaba-Mpopoma constituency primary elections on Sunday is a political victim of his party’s violence as he lost an eye during skirmishes that were allegedly instigated by the Pumula legislator, Mr Albert Mhlanga.Mr Bekithemba Nyathi (34), who is the MDC-T’s youth chairperson in Bulawayo, was allegedly later given two cellphones by Mr Mhlanga to drop charges in the ensuing court case.
Mr Nyathi beat the sitting Member of Parliament Mr Samuel Sandla Khumalo and six other contestants in the primaries at the weekend.
In an interview yesterday, Mr Nyathi admitted that he lost his eye in 2006 during bloody clashes between the MDC-T and the then Professor Arthur Mutambara-led MDC following the 2005 split.
“I do not want to pin the injury on Albert, but he was the provincial organising secretary for the MDC at the time. I think he behaved like a loyal son who followed his party’s instructions. A group of youths that were sent by Welshman and Fletcher Dulini Ncube attacked us at White City Stadium,” said Mr Nyathi.
He said the MDC had ordered its youth to do “everything necessary” to ensure that MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai did not come to Bulawayo to address a rally.
“I was part of the youth security team that kept a night vigil at the stadium on the eve of the rally. Armed MDC youths attacked us and I lost my eye in the clashes,” said Mr Nyathi.
However, he refuted allegations that he was “compensated” with cellphones to drop the court case.
“I was not given cellphones. I already owned a cellphone. I dropped the charges because the case was taking too long to be finalised,” said Mr Nyathi.
Contacted for comment, Mr Mhlanga said there was no need to keep going back to the issue as it happened long ago.
“I did not give him cellphones to silence him. He dropped the case on mutual agreement and we have a good working relationship. We have settled issues between us and we are close friends,” said Mr Mhlanga, who later crossed the floor to join the Tsvangirai group.
Scores of supporters were left injured in skirmishes that erupted as party youths fought around White City Stadium.
Mr Nyathi will represent the MDC-T in the Pelandaba-Mpopoma seat for the House of Assembly elections after winning an incident-packed election in which one of the losing candidates fainted after hearing the result.
His victory has deeply divided party members, with a majority alleging he had a poor academic background that would handicap him when he faced candidates from other parties.
Others alleged that he was a poor choice by the party as he is a lodger in the constituency and does not have a sound academic background.
Mr Nyathi yesterday said he had to supplement Mathematics and English at O-level.
“I sat for O-levels in 1997 and passed five subjects. However, I did not have Maths and English. I passed the subjects two years later in 1999,” he said.
Mr Sandla Khumalo has since described the primary elections as chaotic and scandalous.
He has refused to accept the result of the election, saying 15-year-old pupils illegally voted where there was open rigging that resulted in 500 people casting ballots when the party’s voters’ roll stated only 300 were eligible.
He said he was shocked by the rot in the MDC-T and accused the senior leadership of plotting his downfall.
Online Reporter