Tsvangirai to blame for MDC split – Moyo

By Jeffrey Muvundusi

Former MDC chairperson Lovemore Moyo has accused the party’s late leader Morgan Tsvangirai as the culprit being behind the latest split in the main opposition.

This comes after the party’s supreme decision-making body in between congresses, the national council met last Friday and resolved to fire long-serving vice president Thokozani Khupe, national spokesperson Obert Gutu and national organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe over leadership squabbles.

The expulsion followed the surprise resignation of Moyo.

While the trio have dismissed their expulsion as a joke, Moyo has laid the blame on the party’s founding president.

“The MDC was formed on the basis of constitutionalism and may his soul rest in peace but . . . Tsvangirai had unfortunately given himself powers that were not there in the constitution, resulting in rolling conflicts and now the split,” Moyo said.

“Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti, Elton Mangoma and many others at some point once quit the party citing the same reasons of un-constitutionalism on the part of our departed leader,” said Moyo.

He cited the appointment of two vice presidents — Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri — by Tsvangirai as one major departure from the principles and values of the movement.

Ever since the labour-backed movement was formed in 1999, it has suffered major splits that according to analysts have been a blessing to Zanu PF’s continued stay in power.

The former Speaker of Parliament said all this could have been avoided had the late Tsvangirai allowed constitutionalism to prevail.

“He was a good leader and very popular at the same time but it is clear that during his last days he left the scars that led to the disintegration and to this current split.

“He began this process to a conflict, a conflict where people were for example being beaten for having opposing views as happened in Bulawayo when thugs were sent to beat us at the party offices but it has always been our desire to remain united but well,” he said.

The former Matobo North legislator, however, said while he was against the possible victory of Zanu PF in the forthcoming elections, the latest split in the MDC, lessened its chances of prevailing in the elections. DailyNews