HARARE – After weeks of delicate negotiations MDC-T officials on Tuesday announced that they had buried their differences and pledged to work together to unseat Zanu PF from power.
The announcement by party president Morgan Tsvangirai followed a five-hour meeting of the standing committee which was held on Friday. Another meeting of the national executive was held on Tuesday followed by a meeting with civil society leaders.
Tsvangirai said “after that frank heart-to heart session, we all unanimously agreed that our disagreements in the cockpit, while confirming our credentials as a democratic party, had needlessly diverted attention from the key issues affecting the people of Zimbabwe.
“But we had realized it was important for us to sit down as the party leadership to openly discuss and sort out our issues. I am proud to announce today that we have discussed our issues and there is now unprecedented harmony and unity of purpose in the MDC cockpit.
“We all agreed that we owed it to the members of the party and to the nation at large to discuss and resolve our matters so that we would be more effective in providing hope and a credible alternative to Zanu PF,” he said.
In a show of unity Tsvangirai was flanked by Secretary General Tendai Biti, Deputy President Thokozani Khupe, National Chairman Lovemore Moyo and other senior party officials like Elias Mudzuri.
Suspended Deputy Treasurer General Elton Mangoma was absent.
Briefing Nehanda Radio a senior official said “Zanu PF is collapsing on its own and all we need to do is be united. Whatever the cockpit issues the focus should be on stability. There is need for stability within the ranks. We also want to disappoint the naysayers who have written a premature obituary of the MDC.”
Mangoma torched a storm after writing a letter to Tsvangirai suggesting he step down and call for an extra-ordinary congress as part of leadership renewal in the party.
This however did not go down well with Tsvangirai’s supporters who argued that Tsvangirai was elected by a congress and not by a letter and that his term ends in 2016.
They also alleged the push against Tsvangirai is being sponsored by Western donors via the exiled Treasurer General Roy Bennett who was the first to publicly call on Tsvangirai to step down last year.
Matters came to head last month when Tsvangirai convened a meeting with around 210 provincial leaders at the party’s Harvest House headquarters in Harare. Outside the venue anti-Mangoma protesters gathered outside. It was after the meeting that Mangoma was assaulted and had his shirt torn.
The attack on Mangoma then took a new twist with party spokesman Douglas Mwonzora claiming that despite being supplied with a video clip showing the attacker’s face, the police are reluctant to arrest the perpetrator.
“The video footage shows an individual fighting with President Tsvangirai’s security aides in an attempt to access Mangoma. After being successfully repelled by the President’s aides the individual retreats only to go behind the security and managing to land about three punches on Mangoma’s face,” Mwonzora said.
“Nobody in the MDC has managed to identify this individual. He does not belong to any of the MDC structures nor is he a member of the MDC. In a bid to get this individual arrested the MDC supplied the video clip to the Police Law and Order Section.
“To the MDC’s surprise, the Police do not appear to be interested in tracking this individual at all. This is despite the fact that this person’s face is clear from the video footage. No wonder some people have suggested that this individual may be a person who enjoys the protection of some state agents.
“The police however insisted on arresting MDC activists who are well known for their support for President Tsvangirai. Fortunately the courts of law have found that the evidence against these activists is extremely weak and proceeded to grant them bail,” Mwonzora said.
Over the weekend Tsvangirai addressed a rally in Chipinge where he said he is willing to hand over power to a younger person in the party but only through a congress when the time is right.
“Leadership renewal is good but it becomes an issue for the MDC and not those who are 90 years and want to die in office. I don’t want to die in office.
“I will leave the party to a new generation at a certain stage but it will only happen through a congress and not a hostile takeover,” he said.
“We will have our congress. We are bringing it forward from 2016. Everyone will be free to contest any position. It is that forum which makes and unmakes leaders in the MDC.
“If you are an MDC person and you see yourself being lauded by Zanu PF, then there is something wrong with you,” Tsvangirai added.
