adminGeorge Maponga in Masvingo
MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai allegedly ordered the withdrawal of vehicles used by party executives in Masvingo after they deleted his face from the logo. Party youths recently grabbed an Isuzu truck from senior provincial officials because they opposed personalisation of the opposition around Mr Tsvangirai and removed his face from the official logo. Mr Tsvangirai’s face is on the party logo, and the “T” in the party’s name is in reference to his surname.
This has over the years brewed disgruntlement with some party members saying Mr Tsvangirai’s intolerance of criticism is a manifestation of the creation of a cult around him.
An Isuzu single-cab and a lorry have been repossessed from the MDC-T provincial executive led by Mr Wilstaf Sitemere and allegedly moved to Harare under orders from Mr Tsvangirai. “There is no longer a party vehicle in Masvingo as the two that we had were repossessed by the party leadership in Harare,” said an official.
“The vehicles were taken under the pretext of going for repairs, but the truth of the matter is that the move was because of the ongoing infighting over calls for leadership renewal.”
The MDC-T provincial executive in Masvingo will be purged very soon for being pro-Mangoma and the repossession of vehicles has caused paralysis within the party across the province.
The provincial executive is said to be largely supportive of deputy treasurer-general Mr Elton Mangoma, who is leading calls for Mr Tsvangirai to step down following a string of electoral losses between 2000 and 2013.
Dissent is understood to be related to the party’s poor performance in Masvingo in the July 31, 2013 polls where it lost all 26 National Assembly seats to Zanu-PF.
MDC-T Masvingo provincial secretary Mr Tongai Matutu said he was not aware of developments on the ground.
“I am not in Masvingo at the moment and was away for sometime and apparently I have not received any correspondence to the effect that the vehicles were being repossessed,” he said. Mr Sitemere also professed ignorance over the matter.
Online Reporter