MDC-T deputy president, Thokozani Khupe will boycott
today’s launch of the MDC Alliance at White City Stadium in Bulawayo,
protesting the party’s failure to attend to concerns she raised about the
coalition agreement.
Khupe’s spokesperson, Witness Dube said MDC-T leader,
Morgan Tsvangirai’s deputy feels betrayed that the opposition party was
“misdirecting itself” to focus on the rally and pushing off “the table
substantive issues” she raised.
“Deputy president of MDC-T, Khupe will not be attending the
Bulawayo MDC Alliance rally for the same reasons that she did not attend the
last MDC-T national executive committee meeting,” Dube said.
Khupe recently wrote to Tsvangirai expressing objections
about the MDC Alliance agreement, particularly over the distribution of
parliamentary seats in Matabeleland South, North and Bulawayo.
The letter was co-signed by party chairperson, Lovemore
Moyo and suspended organising secretary, Abednico Bhebhe.
In the letter, Khupe, Bhebhe and Moyo said they avoided
attending the meeting fearing for their safety more than a week after they were
assaulted at the party’s Bulawayo offices for boycotting the launch of the MDC
Alliance in Harare.
“I can assuredly say that the national chairman, as well as
the national organising secretary, will also not be attending this rally on the
same grounds,” Dube said.
“It is the collective view of these leaders that the MDC Alliance
is misdirecting itself by focusing at a rally as a way of window dressing or
pushing off the table the substantive issues that were raised in the letter
that was written to the MDC-T president for and on behalf of many members
within the MDC-T.
“A good membership within the MDC-T asked these three
leaders to raise their concern on the seeming appearance of unilateralism in
our decision making processes.
“People in Matabeleland strongly continue to condemn the
use of violence on their congressionally elected leadership a few weeks back.”
MDC-T deputy spokesperson, Tabitha Khumalo on Thursday said
Khupe and her allies were being selfish by resisting the “unstoppable” MDC
Alliance.
“The train is moving and if there is anybody that thinks
that they are going to stop this train, chances are not there because it is not
being driven by us politicians but by the people of Zimbabwe,” she said.
“Zimbabweans have spoken, they want an alliance and it
means some of us are going to lose our seats, let it be.
“The agenda is not about individuals or positions but about
the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, some of us are being
selfish,” she told journalists on Thursday at the Bulawayo Media Centre.
newsday
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