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Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
MDC-T president Mr Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday urged his party supporters to accept defectors from the Professor Welshman Ncube faction because they supported his party during the elections of Speaker of Parliament by voting for Mr Lovemore Moyo. Addressing a party rally at Mbila Business Centre in Bulilima East constituency, Mr Tsvangirai said there was nothing wrong with imposing the MDC rebels in the forthcoming harmonised elections because MDC-T owed them a lot.
“I am here to bring clarity on the issue of imposition of candidates which has been causing trouble in a number of districts including Bulilima East constituency. These leaders that you do not want to accept as party representatives have my full blessing because of a promise that I made to them.
“Mr Norman Mpofu, Mr Abednico Bhebhe, Mr Thandeko Zinti Mkandla, Ms Nomalanga Khumalo and Mr Njabuliso Mguni voted for Mr Moyo in 2008 while they were in MDC and as a result I promised them that they would stand as MPs uncontested hence I will do anything possible to ensure this happens,” he said.
The rebels reportedly dumped MDC candidate for the post of Speaker of Parliament, Mr Paul Themba Nyathi in preference of Mr Moyo.
Mr Tsvangirai said his decision was final, arguing that it was in the best interest of the party.
“This decision is final and I am making it out of the interest of all party members and the whole country.
“Sometimes as a leader you have to make decisions that benefit the majority of our people in the long run although you will be infringing on their rights,” he said.
Mr Tsvangirai said the people that party members preferred to stand as candidates in the primaries, were incapable of administering party issues.
Mr Tsvangirai said he was prepared to impose more candidates “to ensure victory for his party in the harmonised elections.”
“You cannot make sound decisions and I know that if we were to hold primaries for these five politicians that I have mentioned earlier, you will just choose useless people who will not be able to properly carry the duties of being MPs.
“The people that I have just announced will bring victory to the party and they spearhead development in their areas of operation,” he said.
“If imposition of candidates is what is needed to ensure that we are represented by effective leaders then I am prepared to do this as often as possible.”
Early this month 38 disgruntled members of MDC-T in Bulilima East defected to Zanu-PF in protest over the imposition of Mr Mpofu as the party’s National Assembly candidate in the forthcoming harmonised elections.
A number of MDC-T supporters in the constituency said they were opposed to Mr Mpofu’s candidature whom they regard as a “sellout”.
Mr Mpofu, who is the former Member of the House of Assembly for the constituency, was expelled from the Prof Ncube led MDC and later joined MDC-T.
MDC-T structures in Matabeleland South have in the run up to the party’s primary elections been divided over the inclusion of defectors from the Prof Ncube faction.
“We expect primaries to be held and despite whatever reason you give us we will never accept Mr Norman Mpofu as the party’s representative for the constituency. If we are forced to accept him then we will vote for the Zanu-PF candidate in the elections because at least they do not impose candidates,” said an angry MDC-T member who spoke during the rally.
However, Mr Tsvangirai insisted that the defectors would represent the party in their respective constituencies.
Mr Mpofu would stand in Bulilima East while Mr Bhebhe would contest in Nkayi South, Mr Mkandla in Gwanda North, Ms Khumalo in Umzingwane while Mr Njabuliso Mguni would stand in Lupane East.
Mr Tsvangirai’s visit to the province started yesterday started on a sour note as the border town’s business community accused him of being incompetent and exploiting them to enhance his political agenda.
Coming out of a closed meeting held at Kombani Lodge yesterday disgruntled members of the business community said Mr Tsvangirai had failed to respond to their concerns as promised.
“We received a letter indicating that Mr Tsvangirai wanted to address us on his capacity as a Prime Minister. He told us that he wanted to respond to the challenges we were facing. We pointed out our challenges as per the agreement but instead of addressing them he diverted to political issues.
“The meeting was meant for business individuals but to our surprise it was also attended by MDC-T leaders within the town such as councillors and chairpersons of the party,” said a member of the business community.
In a recording which was accessed by the Chronicle, Mr Tsvangirai spoke about elections and urged participants to vote for his party during the meeting.
Mr Tsvangirai is in the province in a bid to revive his crumbling support base and bring sanity within the party after reports that disputes were erupting over the imposition of candidates. He is expected to visit Gwanda, Beitbridge and Umzingwane districts in attempt to calm disputes within the party over imposition of candidates.
Last week, he toured Matabeleland North in what analysts said was an attempt to quell down infighting that has rocked his party.
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derick.khumalo