Moyo to lead MDC disciplinary committee

By Xolisani Ncube

HARARE – Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai‘s MDC party has set up a disciplinary committee to deal with instigators of intra-party violence which rocked the party’s elective congress held last year in Bulawayo.

As part of the national executive committee meeting resolutions held yesterday, Lovemore Moyo, the party’s chairperson and speaker of Parliament will lead the disciplinary committee.

Douglas Mwonzora, the party’s spokesperson, told a press briefing that after receiving a report from the probe team that was headed by human rights lawyer, Trust Maanda, the national executive committee chaired by Tsvangirai, resolved to deal decisively with all party officials and members involved in the violence.

“The party noted that Zanu PF and state agents directly and indirectly fanned and promoted violence in the MDC in a bid to create chaos within the party,” said Mwonzora.

Without giving names of Zanu PF officials implicated in the report, Mwonzora said the probe team was convinced the former ruling party was actively involved in most cases of intra-party violence which characterised their congress held in Bulawayo.

But Zanu PF’s secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, refuted MDC’s allegations saying the former opposition party should deal with its members without implicating outsiders.

“Violence is within the MDC and it is their members who are violent, our people are not violent. We are a peace-loving party that does not believe in such actions as claimed by the MDC,” Mutasa said.

Other members of the disciplinary committee include human rights lawyer Chris Mhike and MDC youth assembly vice president Costa Machingauta. Mwonzora claimed that even some senior party officials were also involved in the skirmish and they will all face disciplinary action.

“The party resolved that all MDC members and officials who were implicated in violence should be brought before the national disciplinary committee without regard of their status within the party,” Mwonzora said

The intra-party violence in the MDC intensified as the party was holding provincial elections towards its congress held in Bulawayo.

Bulawayo provincial elections pitting the now provincial chairperson and Tsvangirai’s top aide, Gorden Moyo and former chairperson, Matson Hlalo resulted in the elections being postponed twice as supporters of the two engaged in bitter skirmishes.

Tsvangirai and his top party officials at one time had to travel to Bulawayo to quell the violence and restraint the supporters from attacking each other. Daily News