Tribalism threatens to tear MDC apart

Binga and Hwange East districts will boycott the party’s forthcoming congress.
Recent provincial party elections produced a Ndebele-dominated leadership with no single Tonga or Nambya candidate in the hierarchy.
The party’s congress date has been brought forward to April 28.
Reliable sources said last Wednesday that the Tonga in Binga and Nambya in Hwange East have also threatened to boycott the party’s activities.
This is likely to shrink the MDC-T support base in the region.
“Binga district and Hwange East have issued a warning that they are going to boycott MDC-T activities including the upcoming congress following the exclusion of Tonga and Nambya members of the party on tribal lines in the new look provincial executive headed by Mr Sengezo Tshabangu,” an MDC-T insider said.
Mr Tshabangu defeated Mr Herbert Sinampande for the chairmanship post.
Mr Sinampande is Senator for Binga.
Mr Tshabangu garnered 242 votes against Mr Sinampande’s 198 in elections held at Mpofu Grounds in Lupane recently but the latter is challenging the results.
“Binga and Hwange East are not happy that the province is dominated by the Ndebele at the expense of Tonga and Nambya.
“There is no single Tonga or Nambya in the new look provincial executive.
“They are also bitter that the national executive imposed Mr Abednigo Bhebhe who is now the vice chairman yet there are active MDC-T members with no history of defection,” added the source.
Mr Bhebhe was once a member of the Professor Welshman Ncube led MDC but later rejoined the MDC-T.
The new provincial leadership comprises Mr Tshabangu (chairman), his deputy Mr Bhebhe and Mr Gift Mabhena.
Mr Tshabangu and Mr Mabhena are from Victoria Falls while Mr Bhebhe hails from Nkayi.
The vice-secretary is Ms Angeline Kheswa, who is from Lupane.
The provincial treasurer is Sitshengisiwe Dube (Bubi) and Mr Thembinkosi Sibindi (Victoria Falls) landed the organising secretary post.
The deputy organising secretary is Ms Siphiwe Mabhena from Umguza.
Mr Warning Luphahla (Tsholotsho) is the new provincial secretary for information and publicity while Ms Prisca Ncube landed the elections director post.
But the MDC-T spokesperson Mr Nelson Chamisa dismissed the allegations as unfounded saying people always complain when defeated in an election.
Said Mr Chamisa: “Ours is a party based on capacity. We are not tribalists and people are elected on capacity.
“We have people from Binga who have senior positions in Government,” he said.

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