Stay put at your house: Chamisa tells Mangoma

By Mugove Tafirenyika

HARARE – The MDC says expelled deputy party treasurer-general Elton Mangoma is an outsider in the party whose departure will only make the party stronger.

Addressing thousands who attended a constituency rally in Harare’s Kuwadzana surbub yesterday, party organising secretary Nelson Chamisa ridiculed Mangoma’s insistence that he will not be forced out of the labour-backed party.

Chamisa said Mangoma was not there when the party was formed in 1999 as he only surfaced at the 2006 congress  following the party’s infamous split in 2005.

“We began to see Mr Mangoma at our party meetings in 2006 coming from another party but now the problem with nestlings is that the moment they develop hair they start to think they can fly on their own forgetting that they do not have wings,” Chamisa said.

“We are not going to force anyone out of the tent but if you want to derail the struggle, we say no and when we vomit some may think we are dying but vomiting is survival, we vomited and we are safer and stronger,” he added in apparent reference to Mangoma’s dismissal.

The Kuwadzana East legislator said party leader Morgan Tsvangirai remains at the helm of the party until congress which he said would be held earlier than 2016 to deal with the leadership issues once and for all.

Chamisa warned the rebels that the coming back on board of party cadres like Job Sikhala, who had strayed after the 2005 split, was clearing the way for the replacement.

He said the MDC was in good health as evidenced by members who told Tsvangirai not to panic as those causing commotion in the party would be effectively dealt with.

“I heard Mangoma saying he will stay put. Yes, you can stay put but at your house. So Mr Mangoma, stay put but please stay put at your house not in the MDC. Everyone in the party must be on guard and MPs take your positions because if you don’t, you subtract yourself,’ he said. Daily News