Despite this move, the members ruled out a split, saying
MRP was a movement, which would outlive them.
The members also warned Moyo that it was useless to oppose
their decision, as it was made by local provincial members and those based
abroad.
The party will on October 1, 2023 hold a provincial and
district meeting to elect an interim leadership and in the meantime, appointed
Mbonisi Gumbo as the spokesperson while its national congress will be held next
year in April.
Gumbo told a press conference at the Bulawayo Media Centre
on Monday, that the party’s constitution allowed them to dissolve the NEC because
it had stalled MRP’s progress.
“NEC failed to engage in meaningful and constructive
dialogue with the lower structures in finding lasting solutions to the present
crisis,” which he claimed had been present for the past two years.
“Instead of engaging in mature dialogue to resolve the
matters, dissenting members are labelled state agents, spies, CIOs and all
sorts of names. Why can’t you be mature in your leadership? Now everyone is a
CIO. What kind of a party are we honestly?”
Gumbo emphasised there was no bad blood or personal issues
between them and Moyo but their challenges were political.
“We approached Moyo and told him we are unhappy with the
manner in which the party is run. He decided in his own wisdom, or lack of it,
to disregard the members and PEC. Moyo decided he would not attend the meetings
he was called to attend,” Gumbo said.
According to the spokesperson, the party president was
given alternatives in the interest of the party.
“We asked if we could have the national executive dissolved
and he remains as president then members choose their leaders from the vice
president going down, Moyo rejected that idea. We then told him that since he
rejected it, we would dissolve everyone, including him because the party is by
the people, for the people and you cannot continue to disregard the members,”
Gumbo said.
Gumbo also accused the party leadership of providing little
financial or material support “except for bond papers and a paltry amount to be
shared among all participating candidates.”
“We have exhausted all available channels in the hope that
meaningful dialogue and engagement can be attained. A meeting held in Nkulumane
on September 10, 2023, did not resolve much. The follow-up meeting scheduled
for September 17, 2023, was called off without any consultation with everyone
concerned and without any regard for members who had made travelling and
accommodation arrangements,” Gumbo said.
Gumbo said party members were also dissatisfied with the
lack of action to appeal against the conviction and sentencing of the MRP nine.
“No senior members have been to visit fellow comrades at
Chikurubi until a last-minute visit by Organising Secretary Parton Xaba,” which
he described as laughable and a desperate attempt by a “morally destitute
executive.”
NEC was also accused of failing to inform party members of
the precise inventory of all party assets including vehicles.
“Who is responsible for the fleet and why are all the
vehicles grounded? That is not clear and cannot be tolerated,” Gumbo said, acknowledging
that their MRP truck impounded in 2019 by police was still at Bulawayo Central
Police Station.
Gumbo also described MRP’s 2023 electoral performance under
Moyo as poor.
“When we went to elections in 2018, the entire NEC and
provincial executive were complete. We had over 200 candidates in that
election. We had more than 20 public rallies and the main one at City Hall was
well attended. In 2023, we went to an election with a national executive that
had no vice president, no treasurer while the entire executive was in South
Africa. There was no one to address the public. We held only about two rallies,”
he said.
“The secretary for information and publicity only issued
four to five press statements in 90 days. That is how we rate the performance
of the party. Obviously, under such circumstances, you don’t expect better
results.”
MRP National Youth Chair, Chilumbo Mudenda said their decision marked the beginning of a new era.
“Our generation is different from other generations. We are a generation that does not accept anything that is full of non-conformities. We want to set a precedent as far as paving the future of every child in the African continent. We are saying what is wrong has to be said. If somebody who is opposing the government, who claims can do better does something wrong, we have to tell him there and there,” he said, adding that keeping quiet in the face of such pitfalls was why Africa was “going black.”
“It’s because leaders are not being confronted when they are doing a lot of things which are not constitutional and are undemocratic. We are fighting against acrimony and mediocrity against the dictatorship at every cost. Whether we’re in the government or outside the government.”
Mudenda added: “We have nothing personal against our
President but we don’t want dictatorship. People might choose leaders of their
choice. It is in the constitution of our times.” CITE
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