THE breakaway MDC-T led by Dr Thokozani Khupe today faces a
moment of truth as it holds its congress to elect substantive leaders after
splitting from the group under Mr Nelson Chamisa.
MDC-T officially split last month and Dr Khupe, national
organising secretary Mr Abednego Bhebhe and national spokesperson Obert Gutu
were fired from the party. Dr Khupe was locked in a succession battle with Mr
Chamisa to replace the party’s founding president MDC-T leader Mr Morgan
Tsvangirai, who died in February.
The party’s national council endorsed Mr Chamisa as Mr
Tsvangirai’s successor, but Dr Khupe refused to recognise him arguing that she
was the legitimate MDC-T president.
Dr Khupe’s camp, announcing its breakaway, said it could no
longer work with its colleagues accusing them of being violent and violating
the MDC-T constitution.
The camp’s congress comes at the back of challenges which
include the splitting of the parties and the bitter fight over the ownership of
the MDC-T party name and symbols pitting the two rival camps.
Dr Khupe’s spokesperson Mr Witness Dube yesterday said all
was set for the party’s special congress to be held at White City Stadium in
Bulawayo today.
“We’re finalising preparations for the congress and we’re
well on course. We’re confident in everything that we’re doing.
“We’re not worried about numbers because we started on a
good note in terms of membership. We’re actually oversubscribed and we can’t
even afford to transport all our members to the congress. We don’t need to
compete for members,” said Mr Dube.
He said the camp was in the process of accrediting its
members who will attend the congress, with adequate security having been put in
place.
Dr Khupe’s camp protested against Mr Chamisa’s rise to
power arguing that his group did not follow the party constitution in elevating
him.
It has also blamed Mr Chamisa’s faction for violence that
has rocked MDC-T since the death of its founding president.
Various organisations and individuals have condemned the
violence within the MDC-T and called for political tolerance among members of
the opposition. Herald
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