Tsvangirai tests support with tour

By Lloyd Mbiba

HARARE – Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is this week embarking on a nationwide tour to meet with party structures in what is seen as a test of public support by the former prime minister.

Tsvangirai’s tour comes in the wake of calls for him to step down by a group of rebels in the MDC.

Reports also indicate that the MDC leader will meet all the 210 party district chairpersons for a meeting in Harare, which has been viewed as an attempt to strengthen his position in the party.

Douglas Mwonzora, the MDC spokesperson, told the Daily News that his boss is scheduled to meet with the party’s rank and file in Manicaland.

“He is going to Manicaland on Wednesday or Thursday. This is a meet-the-people tour,” Mwonzora said.

“The tour is to brief our members about the state of the economy and the nation.

Also, it is to map out a strategy for 2014 and beyond.

We need to start preparations for 2018 and there is no time to waste.

“From Manicaland he will tour other provinces and meet with party structures. The leadership needs to appreciate the views of the grassroots. We are not like Zanu PF. We are not a dictatorship. We listen to the people.”

However, Tsvangirai’s tour will be viewed as a test of whether the people still have faith in him after open challenges by some of his trusted lieutenants for him to step down.

Elton Mangoma, the MDC treasurer-general wrote to Tsvangirai recently advising him to step down because he failed to unseat Mugabe.

Mangoma also mentioned other reasons for his boss to go including his sex scandals.

The letter created a storm in the party with Tsvangirai’s sympathisers now baying for Mangoma’s head.

Tsvangirai enjoys popular support at grassroots level and all other MDC organs and his tour is seen as a ploy to show all those against him that the people still want him.

The Manicaland provincial leadership is said to be one of the provinces which has been on the fore-front in supporting Mangoma’s call for Tsvangirai to step down and the former prime minister’s visit to that province appears to be a tactic to whip it into line.

Also, the former trade unionist is said to be using the nationwide tour to gather people’s view on holding an elective congress this year.

However, Mwonzora played down this view insisting that Mangoma has got nothing to do with Tsvangirai ‘s tour.

“The Mangoma issue is finished as far as I am concerned, the president (Tsvangirai) is concerned about national issues and not these matters.

“Secondly,  there is no intention of punishing Mangoma for speaking out his mind. So the tour has nothing to do with Mangoma but everything to do with crafting a 2014 strategy,” he said.

The MDC spokesperson added that the Mangoma issue is before party chairman Lovemore Moyo.

“Moyo is dealing with the issue. He is investigating whether Mangoma was the one who leaked the letter to the media. If he is found guilty, he will be punished.

“Let me say this, Tsvangirai has never blocked any debate on his succession but that debate should be within the party structures and not in the media,” he said.

Mwonzora said his boss has summoned all the party district chairpersons for a meeting penciled for Saturday.

“The meeting will be used to craft the 2014 strategy. All the chairpersons will attend. The meeting has got nothing to do with removing Mangoma. It has nothing to do with Tsvangirai cementing his position as the leader. But it has to do with strategies and nothing more,” Mwonzora said. Daily News