via New party on the cards | The Zimbabwean 04.03.14 by Tawanda Majoni
“This group was in charge of party money and will go with it. Right now, there are no funds to cover operational costs and other programmes as the faction (opposed to Tsvangirai) has blocked donors from giving him money. Instead, they are the ones that will get all the funding,” said the source.
He claimed that the group had deliberately underfunded the party’s campaign ahead of the 2013 general elections as a way of undermining Tsvangirai.
The MDC, formed in 1999, has already suffered two splits. In 2005, Welshman Ncube led a splinter group following squabbles over the reintroduction of the Senate, while Job Sikhala subsequently broke away accusing Tsvangirai of dictatorship.
Before his visit, Biti told this newspaper that he was not comfortable talking about succession in his party as “too many dangerous things” were happening.
“Mhepo dzakawandisa mazuva ano (There are too many bad omens in the party the days). I will talk on anything but succession; I don’t want to divide the party. What you say can easily be misinterpreted,” Biti said. A few days later his Umwinsdale home was petrol bombed by unknown assailants.
A few weeks ago he had to scurry for cover after a Harare meeting when youths reportedly aligned to Tsvangirai bayed for his blood. He escaped in the party boss’s car but Mangoma, Bennett’s deputy who had previously written a letter encouraging Tsvangirai to step aside and allow for leadership renewal, was beaten up.
The Zimbabwean has confirmed that Tsvangirai has suspended the Chief of Staff at Harvest House, Toendepi Shonhe, whom he accused of being aligned to the Biti faction. According to the security source, Tsvangirai loyalists are planning to attack Willias Madzimure, a senior party member, Jacob Mafume, the legal advisor who is representing Mangoma in the assault case, Shonhe and Paul Madzore, among others seen to be aligned to Biti.
“After the rally that was held in Budiriro last Sunday, Tsvangirai is planning to hold another one in Chitungwiza soon and youths are saying they want to flush out those opposed to the president. We are having a tough time holding them back,” said the source.
Lovemore Moyo, the national chair, and Tsvangirai’s deputy, Thokozani Khupe, have so far not indicated any preference. But Ian Makone, Tsvangirai’s former personal adviser, seems to be supporting Biti.
COMMENTS
WE HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE NOTHING NEW.
THESE GUYS TRIED IT B4 IN UK IT WONT WORK .NOTHING NEW U RIGHT.U DONT NEED MONEY TO BE A LEADER .
What happened to
Ncube
Simba Makoni
Arthur Mutambara
Zimbabweans r no longer stupid.HATISHANDISWE NEVANHU VARIKUTSVAGA MARI AND FAME
To be honest with you guys money is the evil of everything ana biti na mangoma you ar being used by zanu to distroy mdc anabannet makudadzoka kumba manje under zanu conditions bcz wakatadza to beat them now you have to join them murimhta yevanhu but mwari harisi benzi
Some people are just unbelievable!! Hey @ Kagamba – using a very offensive word in the same sentence as the word mwari?? Haunyari?? You are morally incapable & corrupt! Chimbwampengo!! It’s coz of people like you that MDC is such a confused and weakened party!!
To Tendai Biti and co, I say go for it, I for one have lost all my faith in Tsvangirayi and MDC – and I can tell you that I personally contributed blood, sweat & tears for the party when it started. Let’s go Tendai, & I am right behind you! . Jongwe tichariisa mupoto chete!! Yes we can!! We can leave all the thugs, gangsters, thieves & murderers to carry on backing the likes of MDC and especially ZANU PF!!
Together, with young, intellectual and fresh leadership we can create a better Zimbabwe!!!
Iwe sha let’s not turn this thing into a mess I’m expressing myself on this drama who are you tell me .I have my rights to say what ever I want mind your own business
U contributed nothing iwe, who. Do you want to fool? Who said if you can’t build you destroy?
Taurai zvenyu,ofcourse you have an opinion, but when you talk rubbish muchituka vamwe neruoko rino, rimwe ruoko richtaura nezvamwari, what is that? Ndoinonzi Hypocricy, unoziva kuti ndo chii ichocho dofo remunhu??? Imi ndimi makatouraya MDC!! Pfungwa dzamakabva nadzo kuZANU kwenyu uko!! ZANUfied MDC yapera basa kare!!!
Fungai zvirimberi madhara!
My brother let us accept our differences without any hate speech or hurting feelings.Any one has the right to form or join any party my only worry is when every body is now behaving like zanu pf ( intolerance ) The fact that you talk of other parties and after all not in good faith shows that you are hurting inside.
The culprits stole party money and want to run away
Davy, if that’s the case what did the party leader do about it?
Vatononoka.ngavaende vasiyane neMDC. Then we will see the acid test.Surely, we will not miss them .
I have always supported MDC-T but if there is any truth in these reports of threats etc. then Tsvangirai’s party is no better than Mugabe’s.
Angela Wigmore I understand your sentiments but think about it, MDC has not ruled so we cannot say they misruled. MDC has not massacred 20000 people, displaced 4000 farmers and killed some of them in the process. I don’t know where my vote will be in the next election but if it happened now I know where my x would be.
Doctor do little
You dont wait for a party to govern first before you can judge whether it is a suitable party to govern.
You judge it before based on howi it conducts its own internal affairs; the quality of its leadership and how they lead and deal with internal and external challenges.
If you vote for a party on the basis of sentiment, like many did when the voted ZANU PF in 1980, you will end up with a dicatorship you will never be able to get rid of; as is the case now with gukurahundi Mugabe!!
Totally agree with u Mthwakazi, the independence euphoria & blindness led us to where we are today, so as u can see the current MDC youths & some supporters are no different to ZANU & if they had access to the resources that ZANU has then their similarities would have been evident for all to see. So the more parties the better.
When Biti said Gono cared about his country, for me that’s when the smell began. We now know that Gono was involved in the theft of Libyan money that Gadaffi stole and stashed it in Zimbabwe.
Doctor do little I usually enjoy your comments but feel I must comment to the contrary today. Firstly we don’t need ‘ruling’ parties we need ‘governing’ parties. Kings ‘rule’ & that’s why we are in the state we are in because the country’s leader thinks he is a King!!! My issue with MDC -T is that they were far too soft with ZPF when they had the chance & now we are back where we started. We need a principled party in government that has the courage to take decisions that are in the best interests of the country not one that ‘compromised’ as much as MDC -T did during the GNU.
I don’t feel sorry for Tsvangirai. He is compromised. He should have done the right thing and resigned. He has run out of ideas. Next thing we will hear ,he has joined zanu. Its better the split now ,the other chaps will have enough time to redeem themselves.
I hope they form a broader coalition. We need to neutralize the Zanufication in the MDC.
Way to go Biti.Good on you,we need new vibrant leadership Tsvangirai failrd 2 times ago. Invite other parties too.
What is puzzling about Tsvangirai supporters in the debate of leadership renewal is they become abusive in stead of simply stating valid arguments in favour of his continued stay at the helm.
We keep hearing such comments as “they must go and form their own party and leave Tsvangirai alone’. The issues raised in terms of the shortcomings of Tsvangirai’s leadership remain unresolved.
As long as Tsvangirai believes violence is a useful tool he will fail.
Ruramai
Tsvangirayi and his supporters are the cause of so may splits in that party because they copied gukurahundi ZANUPF ways.
This is the crux of the matter. They claim to be fighting for democracy but they are not democrats themselves by any stretch of the imagination.
Their intolerance of differing views is mind boggling. ZANU PF supporters will soon be smelling like roses in this case!!
i am totally with you my fellow country boy Tswangirai followers are a replica of zanu fp.I think most of them were part of the 5th brigade or one of their parents participated in the Gukurawundi terror they are bitter and intolerant .Vele u tswangirayi waye supporter i zanu pf ngesikhathi segukurawundi so he participated directly or indirectly.
Looks like those who started ZUNDE had sensed something. The coming weeks will certainly be politically interesting. Whatever the outcome, let the beneficiary be the ordinary Zimbabwean.
i think biti and company u have chosen a wrong road, I’m really sure this is the end of your political carrier guys. I think you know what happened to people like gwisai, sikhala, ncube and others, what happened to them is going to be same to you guys. I don’t see you guys having a part which is going to be much bigger than mdc t. nway guys i wish u good lucky. to tsvangirai, i think this is a wake call for u, everyone knows that the election was rigged, i think u should try and do something to stop this rigging business of zanu pf.
Isu ve ZUNDE we told you this is the time to come together as one if we will be able to defeat ZANU PF. Look at yourselves, fighting each other as if you are enemies. You are not. You are brothers disagreeing on simple things. The enemy is ZANU PF. They are enjoying this madness
Kuti ZUNDE ndiko kuti Zimbabwe!!!
We can not join this ZUNDE thing because its not National. It is a Shona thing.
There are no Mthwakazi people in leadership and they all speak in Shona, like you are doing in your writing; yet we have more than ten national languages recognised by the constitution in our country.
Their claims of unity are false and plainly misleading!!
Tsvangirai is an easy donkey an easy ride for Zanu pf tacticians and strategists!!! I now have a question……., its now 3 elections achingoti ndabirirwa its rigging. Does he have leadership, focus and is he able to predict a political problem before it crop up??? We now give a benefit of doubt.
MDC T dont be too much selfish, last time some of you were happy when welshman went out because you occupied the positions, DO YOU SEE THAT ONLY A UNITED FRONT CAN ONLY REMOVE BAD ZANU PF SYSTEMS. ****Dr Simba Makoni** is a leader of decent character and he is clean, he made the first support to tsvangirai 2013. Welshman, Madhuku, Sikhala will not come back when Tsvangirai is the leader. It is a clear sign that you will NOT win 2018 without one united opposition!!!!!
Now that Mugabe is nearing his end and zanu pf is at their weakest you hear about the split of mdc. It all plays into zanu pf’s favour. Have you ever asked yourselves why in zimbabwe we can never have a strong opposition to challenge zanu pf head to head. As long as we remain devided we will definitely fall. Zanu pf have had and still have problems of their own but their resolute to stick together ensures their survival. Those splinter groups have their reasons to jump boat but what have become of them?, do we have better opposition to zanu pf now than before these splits. Zanu pf are smiling because they know they will prevail. The failure of Mdc can not be put squarely on one man’s shoulders , it was team work everyone is culpable. Zimbabweans don’t what hit them in the july polls, the same forces are at play. We wait and see.
Sit back Idiot Zanu and rule the roost. Your divide and rule tactics work all the time!
Zimbabwean politics dzakadhakwa nyaya yekuda hukuru yakaoma I knew kuti this thing yabiti representing Gono was a well calculated move to start frictions in mdc don’t blame morgan for not winning election Zanu ar the technicians & in control of everything . Each & person has his own weakness which guys must turn them into strengh panamorgan make him a better person zvimwe zvimwe have respect for that man he suffered for the people he has gone thru a lot if he didn’t have ur strong suport he will be history by now come on people let’s give him another chance
Newewo morgan unonetsa ne nyaya yemadress dzakukumometera nyaya manje
Mangoma’s name appears frequently on the list of the Zanu pf farming inputs list. Tendai Biti is the lawyer of Gono, the most influential person in Zanu pf. How can two people walk together unless they agree? Read inbetween the lines!
The split is comimg from Roy who thinks his pocket but voters in Zim. Tindo must calm down , but if you after Roy money then do it. Chamatama kana kuzanu pf nacho ikoko. Dai mudhara atora chamatama tiendeko.
The biggest mistake Tsvangirai did was to trust these two wolves to “negotiate” on behalf of the MDC for the GNU. They made sure Tsvangirai was going to be at the receiving end in the flawed “negotiations”. Next time Tsvangirai know who to trust to avoid another breakaway. Biti & Mangoma good riddance & we will not miss you. Enjoy Zanu pf money Wananchi.Zikomo
Tats, if he was not in agreement with the negotiators why did he put his signature to the agreement? For your own information Biti and Bennet almost left the party due to the fact that they did not think it was a good idea to go into a GNU with Zanu p.f. when it was obvious they would be junior partners. You can go back to the 2008 news articles that give details of how Biti was actually pushed by Tsvangirai into the unity government.
Please do not misrepresent facts.
Shamwari, Tsvangirayi cannot even find a good woman, now you suggest he has the knowledge to know the difference between a good negotiator and a bad one? nevermind the unaddressed issue of mangoma being brutalized by his thugs
??
Tsvangirayi is leading us down the wrong path. handichada ini.
Lets get this clear , fair & square ,change is needed .mdc supporters one thing u should no is supporters of Mdc are many , but some of u don’t vote so u should know there is different between voters ,members & supporters, secondly , till when , are we going to procrastinate & watch zanupf distroying our country without doing anything,Is Mr Morgan Tsvangirai there to stay & slumber while the situation remain idle please let’s embrace the total change , tactics had been played to , mr Tsvangirai , left right& centre I m not castigating him , but it pains a a lot wait for uncoming change & continue to Johnsonsuffer ,, to Mdc, supporters , bhora pasi , let’s stop shooting Our feets Let’s persue one goal please. , to the guys who are bound to eccelerate the winds of change , do it in good faith, we have learnt from our , mistakes, we had passed the learning cave , let’s be the tactful matardo , one spirit one goal , be prepared to fight infiltration, aluta, aluta,, aluta continua!
Failure by the MDC to make political capital out of Salarygate, demonstrates serious lack of leadership. Kukundwa neWOZA!! Tainda isu, tosangana kuZUUUUUUNDEEEEE
YOU DON’T NEED MONEY TO BE A LEADER
Believe it now!!! When Dr Simba Makoni is always saying lets work together guys. That one is the man who can unite all oppositions
Biti and company should join hands with Welshman Ncube, Dabengwa, Madhuku and Makoni and forma formidable united Front against gukurahundism.
Tsvangirayi should be isolated. This grass roots support thing has gone to his head!!
Thoko Khuphe and Lovemore Moyo are just placeholder meant to give a semblance of non tribalism in the MDC-T gukurahundi party. All they are waiting for is to see which way the wind blows and then determine who has the best chance to govern, so they can eat!!
United we stand divided we fall. Us Zimbo’s can’t even get a simple ting like this right!
Just Saying you summed it up well.Morgan had is chance and was NO match for Bob.We need change and lets hope these guys go for it if the MDC is not prepared to renew itself.Regarding Bennet.He got most of the finances that has kept MDC running and fighting an election.Saying he steals the money is just plain hogwash.Some people are also asking Simba Makoni to lead and unite the opposition.When he had the chance to back Morgan he refused so leave him where he is.
I too MT was a big let down during e GNU and shd have resigned bt e prblm is TB and his grp shd have waited for e next congress. The whole leadership is culpable n shd go. Another prblm is e MT must go grp has taken their fyt to zpf controlled media saka agenda yavo becomes suspicious
Isu tosara muMDC nechematama chedu, imi nemadonor enyu. We will meet at the ballot.
Wise people should be able to convince Tsvangirai to step down and re-organise the party rather than form a new party. It’s that simple. try anything else and you will be fools of your own shadows
What people do not realise is that Morgan’s story was mapped out by ZPF long ago.They knew Susan was his strength,once they got rid of her he became easy meat.Vana Macheka are all part of the plot.It would be hard to think that Eliza’ s father did not have any knowledge of the rigging,he probably did but, he forfeited a state house residency for his daughter in favour of mugabe.Please note I will never use a capital “m” when I write mugabe’s name.
@Just saying thanks for correcting me ” we don’t need ‘ruling’ parties we need ‘governing’ parties” we are so used to Zanu pf referring themselves as the ruling party that it’s been ingrained in my mind.@ Mtwakazi “You judge it before based on how it conducts its own internal affairs” correct again. They day before yesterday another said Who do NBS and Myself think we are. Do we think we are Godfathers and that we must give others a turn. I think I can answer that one for myself. I am just another Zimbabwean that has been hard done by this regime. I read every contribution on a topic that I get involved in and I respect everyone’s opinion. I, like all of you continue to learn and evolve in my political opinions. I find the democracy I so crave when I have ra-pour with the people on this forum. It is because although the CIO are here as well they cannot do a thing about free opinion. My point was right now that is who I’d personally choose.
Hopefully they shape up and clean house. This does not mean my mind is made up about the next election. like everyone else I watch and listen to what other players have to say. As yet I have heard nothing. Respect to you all.
There are (at least) two separate issues here.
The first is that the MDC-T is due for new leadership. Tsvangirai has had 3 bites at the apple. He was effective at mobilizing supporters to demonstrate and strike in the early days, and then leading voters to vote for change in large numbers. But then at a game-changing moment, he chose to go into the GNU in 2008. To compound it all, he then chose to go into the deeply flawed 2013 elections at another pivotal moment; a time when SADC through Zulu was as pro-democracy in Zimbabwe as it had ever been. Both were collective decisions but the buck has to stop with him.
The second is this. ZANU broke away from ZAPU. ZUM/Tekere broke away from ZANU. Makoni broke away from ZANU. MDC/Ncube broke away from MDC-T. etc. etc. Some of those break-aways were based on power plays, others on major differences in principles and strategies. Today, some may speak of splitting the opposition vote. The truth of the matter is that unless and until someone comes up with an effective new strategy, ZANU CANNOT be voted out of power, no matter if all the opposition parties come together. The soldiers and men in dark glasses have shown us that they were deadly serious when they said they will not be removed from power with a simple “X.”
What is needed now is the emergence of an inspired leadership with effective policies and strategies to overcome our current impasse in politics. Let new parties be formed.. IF there are fundamental issues at stake, in terms of policy, strategy and tactics; the strong and sure will survive and flourish. If there is no more at play than power hunger and personality clashes, then fakes and opportunists will be exposed – all in good time. But eventually what the country truly needs will emerge from this modern-day, pressure cooker of Zimbabwean politics.
He must accept responsibility as leader
Don’t know where that straggler sentence came from.
Well said doc do little. I care about you all as my fellow Zimbo’s and respect your view.
All I want to see is a healing and thriving nation. A place for all and enough for all.
I too am just an ordinary Zimbo who has been affected by all this. I hate the suffering see. I have the corruption I see. I hate what our nation has become. I pray!
I mean hate the corruption! It is time we began to talk and so thee blogs are good
Zimbabweans, we must’nt fool ourselves by thinking change of leadership is going to freed us from zanu pf. Can u pls tell me which country was under the rule of a dictator like bob and removed by a mear x/without being armed? As long Russia is still under the rule putin and kiev still within the ranks of the army in Zimbabwe, forget about removing zanu from power. I bet u can change the leadership of n party that is not going to work. We need to use common sence how can n-one win election under this current situation, who is the head of registry department, tobaiwa, zanu pf, head of police chihuri zanu pf, army, chiwenga, zanu, cio, is it bonyongwe , zanu. You might think otherwise but for me the only solution is to armed. putin has been in power since 1999, and is the master of bob
Let thm form their Party may be they hve Nikuv on their side nt zim pepole,they gonna share the spoils with their Master Zanu pf