via Emissaries roped in to diffuse turmoil in MDC-T | SW Radio Africa by Tichaona Sibanda on Tuesday, March 11, 2014
A number of emissaries, including academic Ibbo Mandaza, have been roped in to diffuse the political turmoil within the MDC-T, whose infighting has moved beyond sparring.
Infighting has been prevalent in the main opposition party since its suspended deputy secretary-general, Elton Mangoma, wrote a letter to party leader Morgan Tsvangirai asking him to step down.
The letter created tension and produced some notable casualties like Mangoma himself. Tapiwa Mashakada, the MP for Hatfield in the capital, was appointed the acting treasurer-general in place of Mangoma during Tuesday’s standing committee meeting.
Proxies fighting on behalf of the former MP and businessman were caught up in the fight, amid fears the problems would eventually lead to the movement’s split.
Things got worse on Friday when Secretary General Tendai Biti convened a hastily arranged press conference after the national council endorsed Mangoma’s suspension, and appeared to rebuke it. He claimed the decision to suspend Mangoma was a nullity, further inflaming the fractious situation in the MDC-T.
There have been significant moves by the various emissaries to prevent the party from splitting. Mandaza, a political analyst and director of the Harare based think-tank Sapes Trust, was reportedly engaged for his influence over both Tsvangirai and Biti.
Political commentator Pedzisai Ruhanya said following the infighting of the last few weeks, it was time for all sides to sit down and work out their differences in peace, using rational discourse.
Promise Mkwananzi, the Youth Assembly secretary-general, and an ally of both Mangoma and Biti, told SW Radio Africa’s Speak out Padare program that if people disagree, it does not mean they’ve lost loyalty to each other.
Asked if it was possible for him to work again with Tsvangirai, given that he was linked to the group calling for his ouster, the youth leader dismissed suggestions that he was not loyal to the party and its leader.
‘It’s just a difference of the manner we see things and the way we must take things forward,’ he said, blaming individuals and the media for ‘sensationalizing and personalizing’ the infighting.
Mkwananzi said there is no doubt there is a case against Mangoma, but he was against the way the party was selectively applying laws to punish others, and while not taking action against some who have done worse things.
‘The laws of the party must apply uniformly. We’ve had so many people who have put the party’s name into disrepute by utterances in newspapers and utterances on Facebook. There are people who have committed acts of violence against leaders of the party and nothing has been done to those people,’ complained Mkwananzi.
Discussing the suspension of Mangoma on the same program with Mkwananzi, national council member Charlton Hwende, a Tsvangirai loyalist, said the party took the correct decision in suspending the deputy treasurer-general.
‘People were hiding behind the word democracy to denigrate Tsvangirai and the party, thinking that they were untouchable as they had the democratic right to express themselves. It turned out later that it was not a case of their rights being suppressed but lack of discipline.
‘There is no way you can run a party without discipline. We want each and every member of the party to respect all the institutions of the MDC, from the President, standing committee, national council and national executive, right down to the grassroots structures. If they fail to respect these institutions then there will be anarchy in the party,’ Hwende added.
COMMENTS
There is always a better way of expressing your concerns thnan the Mangoma way. Who does he think is better than MT? Splitting happened before and it only works in favour of Zanu PF…..never worked for those who walked out ( either from Zanu PF or MDC). WORK OUT YOUR DIFFERENCES IN ERNEST AND GET RID OF PRIDE
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Ibbo Mandaza emissary?how very interesting.
If certain people once stole and were never prosecuted it does not stop the next thief from being arraigned Promise. There is always a tim e when you realise that failure to take decisive action makes members of a group behave wierdly. If you say Mangoma has a case to answer so be it.It appears to me the Mangoma group has not handled the case well immotionally and admitting this and adjusting will help towards healing.While Chamisa could be ambitious as you allege, there is also a feeling that the Mangoma group fears they can not win at the congress and want a boardroom coup
Why wasting time with emissaries? Let them go! Biti has sold out we don’t need him anymore. How can he praise the Zanu manifesto when he is MDC secretary? This explains why he representing Gono to cover up his looting at the Reserve Bank. Biti and your vermin leave us alone!
Yes, descipline on Mangoma, the treasurer, will set a very good example
Like l have always said if individuals are spare the party will implode,so be it Mangoma et. al shud face cane.
Why don’t they try getting on their knees and asking God for help. What has any man ever done for Zimbabwe?
Amen Brother…we need God to actually take over! How much more of a mess do we have to make of this country before we bring it before the Lord on our knees?
Biti we respect you but you must respect our leader.
Thank you bro,Biti thinks is now bigger than Tsvangirai not knowing he is simply an urban area MP and can never win outside Harare. Tsvangirai has trounced mugabe from border to border. He is just a sellout. As for Mangoma he has dug his own grave and soon will be lying in there forever.
It appears a simple letter has been blown out of all proportion..but certainly not a bad thing gives us mere mortals a chance to see what has been happening behind closed doors, Hwende is correct to state that respect of structures at ALL levels is the starting point and selective discipline just doesn’t work
LETS WAIT AND SEE!
Ya interesting realy, to bra Promise when in church u don’t worship umfundisi but the word of God that u get from the Bible, here it seems u were Mangoma,Biti’s follower not the principals of the party, know the rules to a better person or leader tomorrow .
Our leader wekuitasei Tsvangurai himself is problem , stepping does not mean that he is castigated, but he still needs to be in the helm of leadership,
Our leader wekuitasei Tsvangirai himself is a problem , stepping Aside does not mean that he is castigated, but he still needs to be in the helm of the leadership, kuti struggle iende mberi ,wake up guys & smell the coffee please !!!!!!
If we the leaders fight what do we expect those being led to learn from us.This is no time for this useless fight but time to dream of a better world with no such fights.All what MDC-T needs is not this power hungry fight but the spirit of oneness.