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Lloyd Gumbo Harare Bureau
ELIAS Mudzuri, the MDC-T lawmaker for Warren Park, has blasted party leader Morgan Tsvangirai and secretary-general Tendai Biti for “lacking maturity” over their handling of succession in the party.
Biti convened a national council meeting a fortnight ago where they resolved to suspend Tsvangirai and several senior officials, accusing them of violating the party constitution as well as using party youths as a tool to deal with political opponents.
Tsvangirai then responded by convening his own national council meeting at the party’s headquarters four days later that expelled Biti and other officials who attended the meeting that purpoted to suspend him.
Mudzuri was one of the first MDC-T senior figures to suggest leadership renewal after the party’s heaviest defeat at the hands of Zanu-PF during the July 31, 2013, elections.
“What’s happening in the party is meaningless as it lacks maturity,” he said.
“Both camps lack vision and maturity as they’re just politicking. Some of us are too mature to be doing those things. They’re busy tearing each other apart instead of allowing people to talk.
“I believe someone who has been in the party for 15 years can’t just be sacked by someone. Democracy demands that we discuss things without fear or favour.”
Mudzuri said he supported neither faction because they lacked the party’s principles adding that it was important for the two camps to unite.
“We need to unite and find a common cause without deceiving the nation. We need to capture the national sentiment and come up with a template of what Zimbabweans want. The succession debate must resonate with the public,” he said.
“For now, I’m in the MDC and I’m talking to everyone at the moment. I’m not taking sides because what’s happening lacks vision. I believe no-one is bigger than the party. I stand for the foundation of the MDC. I remain on the constructive side, yet there’re those on the selfish side. Going forward, the principle must be no to violence.”
Tsvangirai’s camp has been suspending provincial executives deemed to be against the party leader and replacing them with those loyal to him ahead of the party’s elective congress that was slated for 2016, but which has since been moved to October this year.
This was seen by some in the party as a deliberate ploy to impose provincial structures that would ensure that Tsvangirai retains his post.
Indications are that Tsvangirai would not be contested in the likely event that his faction and Biti’s do not unite.
But Mudzuri said it was important that the party allowed free debate ahead of the Congress.
“I still believe Congress will determine the future of the party but it mustn’t be shaped as a straitjacket for someone.
“It must be open for everyone to share their views. Violence should never be tolerated. We need a certain level of maturity.”
Mudzuri could neither confirm nor deny that he still harboured ambitions to take over as leader.
He said it was up to the party’s members to elect the leadership.
Tsvangirai and Biti’s camps were last week exposed to have lied when they claimed their respective national council meetings met the two-thirds quorum required to sit.
Tsvangirai’s camp claimed 162 out of 167 members had voted for the expulsion of Biti and his team, while Biti’s camp said 136 out of 138 had approved Tsvangirai and his group’s suspension.
But insiders said only 58 and 38 bonafide national council members had attended Tsvangirai and Biti’s meetings respectively.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu