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Pamela Shumba Senior Reporter
MDC-T organising secretary Nelson Chamisa is responsible for fuelling divisions within the troubled opposition as he is eyeing the party’s presidency, youth assembly secretary-general Promise Mkhwananzi said yesterday as he warned the party was headed for another nasty split.
Reacting to the widening fissures rocking the party following the suspension of party deputy treasurer Elton Mangoma on Friday, Mkhwananzi took to the social media and also lashed at chairman Lovemore Moyo accusing the ex-legislator of presiding over a “flawed” disciplinary procedure that deposed Mangoma last week.
He said Chamisa was at the centre of divisions within MDC-T despite pretending to be a staunch supporter of party leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
“Chamisa has become unpopular for dividing the party through mishandling the primary elections and misleading the president into believing that God had told him that the party would win last year’s elections,” said Mkhwananzi.
“He must stop manipulating and hiding behind the president and face the music of his actions.”
Tsvangirai, said Mkhwananzi, has a challenge as a leader to rise above factional interests and see beyond Chamisa’s ambitions and unite the party towards a truly democratic congress.
“Chamisa seems comfortable to keep the party at abeyance, purge potential competitors and pave the way for his eventual take-over as president when he reaches the forty- year threshold.”
Mkhwananzi said Moyo revealed from the onset that Mangoma would never be afforded a fair and transparent democratic process on his alleged case of calling on Tsvangirai to step down.
“It was an unfortunate decision by Moyo to agree to be at the centre of this undemocratic rant that threatens to tear apart the heart fabric of the people’s movement.
“All proceedings on Mangoma’s case are therefore null and void before even enquiring whether or not they reflected
the views of the two thirds of the national council as demanded by the party’s constitution,” he said.
Mkhwananzi did not hide his sympathy for Mangoma and secretary-general Tendai Biti who apparently are viewed as villains after they openly challenged Tsvangirai’s leadership.
Mkhwananzi, Mangoma and Biti were recently attacked by violent party youths at Harvest House allegedly for calling for Tsvangirai ouster.
The youth leader questioned Tsvangirai’s credentials as a leader after losing elections to Zanu-PF since 2000 and accused him of covering up criminal behaviour.
“A good example is the violent attack on Mangoma, myself and others on February 15, 2014, in which party spokespersons Douglas Mwonzora and Luke Tamborinyoka lied to the press that we had been assaulted by Zanu-PF thugs.
“Moyo and Tsvangirai did not denounce the violence nor show any interest in reigning in the youths or bring to book those that had perpetrated violence,” Mkhwananzi said.
He demanded an early congress saying the troubled party needed ample time to heal congress fractures, conduct primary elections on time and resolve disputes.
The MDC-T congress is due in 2016.
Mkhwananzi said MDC-T has run out of ideas and has nothing to offer to the electorate except barking about Zanu-PF failures and alleged human rights violations.
“The time has come to devise viable strategies to tackle the economic challenges and present ourselves as the only viable and formidable alternative.
“We cannot afford to continue supporting Tsvangirai without him bringing home the much needed result which is change and transformation to the lives of the people,” said Mkhwananzi.
He said the party was on a self-destructive path at its own peril.
He also said the national executive and council were not happy with the manner in which the party leadership was taking the two bodies for granted.
While Chamisa could not be reached on his mobile phone for comment, Moyo said he did not receive any report on the violence involving party youths.
“We have internal processes as a party that address grievances of party members. Mkhwananzi as a youth leader should help us identify the youths who committed the alleged acts of violence,” said Moyo.
He added: “In principle we do not condone violence. I was not there when the attacks occurred and I can only deal with the matter if names of suspects are brought to my office.”
Online Reporter