MDC-T national chairman Mr Lovemore Moyo has reportedly
openly broken ranks with party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai and is holding
meetings in the Matabeleland region where he is meeting party structures urging
them not to support the coalition with other political parties.
This has sent shivers down the spine of other opposition
party leaders resulting in the cancellation of the launch of the MDC Alliance
at White City Stadium which was scheduled for Saturday. The launch has been
pushed forward to Saturday 2 September.
In the latest developments senior members led by Mr Moyo, a
former Speaker of Parliament and Matobo North Member of Parliament have in the
past week been meeting MDC-T structures in the region where they are openly
denouncing the coalition pact signed by their principal, Mr Tsvangirai. On his
sojourn Mr Moyo is reportedly being accompanied by Bulawayo Ward 15 councillor,
Tamani Moyo and Bulawayo provincial secretary Ms Nomvula Mguni.
To date they have met structures in Matobo,
Njube-Lobengula, Luveve and Nkulumane. Mr Moyo was recently assaulted together
with the party deputy president Ms Thokozani Khupe and national organising
secretary Mr Abednico Bhebhe.
Contacted for comment Mr Moyo confirmed the meetings
alleging that they had been summoned by the districts to come and explain
contents of the coalition and how they would affect the party in the long run.
He claimed that the structures had raised a lot of questions which they had
failed to answer during their meetings and could only be answered by Mr
Tsvangirai.
“We did not convene those meetings but we were invited by
the districts to explain certain things that were not clear to them pertaining
this coalition pact. The districts wanted to seek clarification on this whole
deal and how it will affect the party in the long term.
“So far we have had conversations in the entire Matobo
District and some constituencies here in Bulawayo. It is not queer at all
because I know other senior members are doing the same trying to explain how
this alliance will look like as we head to the 2018 elections,” said Mr Moyo.
Questioned on whether he felt the meetings were giving the
structures the necessary clarity ahead of the MDC Alliance in Bulawayo, Mr Moyo
claimed that there were still a lot of loopholes which Mr Tsvangirai had to
address before attempting to launch it in the region.
“Truth be told in all our conversations we have had, a lot
of questions have been raised which we failed to answer and can only be
answered by Mr Tsvangirai alone, of which I feel if there is to be any progress
at all, the president (Tsvangirai) should come and answer these questions which
are being raised by party members in the region. I am not even sure whether Mr
Tsvangirai will be able to give the clarity which the grassroots want during the
so-called launch, it is now all up to him to see how he addresses this but he
really owes the people a lot of answers,” said Mr Moyo.
Contacted for comment, the party’s national spokesperson,
Mr Obert Gutu, while confirming that the launch of the MDC Alliance had been
pushed to 2 September, said he had to confirm with Mr Moyo on the meetings he
was leading in the region.
“I speak for the party but on that matter I will have to
contact our national chairperson on these meetings which you say he is leading.
However, regarding the launch of the coalition in Bulawayo, to the best of my
knowledge I understand it has been pushed to 2 September,” said Mr Gutu without
giving reasons for the alteration of the dates.
Ms Khupe, Mr Moyo and Mr Bhebhe are reportedly not happy
with the events that led to the formation of the MDC Alliance especially the
allocation of constituencies in the run-up to the agreement with other parties
who joined the coalition.
Mr Tsvangirai formed the MDC Alliance with Transform
Zimbabwe, Professor Welshman Ncube’s MDC, Zimbabwe People First, the
Multi-Racial Christian Democratic Party, People’s Democratic Party, and Zanu
Ndonga. Sunday News
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