via You’re free to leave, Tsvangirai tells rivals NewZimbabwe 08/03/2014
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Saturday told rivals pushing for his ouster that they were free to quit if they no longer wanted to continue working with him.
The former premier told supporters at a rally held at Huruyadzo Shopping Centre in St Mary’s, Chitungwiza that he would embarrass his rivals if they dared challenge him for leadership at the party’s congress.
The rally followed Friday’s decision to suspend deputy treasurer Elton Mangoma who is charged with bringing the party into disrepute.
Mangoma’s offence was to tell Tsvangirai that he had become a liability after losing three consecutive elections to Zanu PF while his colourful private life was not helping matters either.
Secretary general Tendai Biti immediately called a press conference to declare that Mangoma’s suspension was unconstitutional and, therefore, null and void.
But as the party looks to be heading for another bitter split after the acrimonious 2005 departure of a group led by Welshman Ncube, Tsvangirai signalled he was prepared to forge ahead without Biti, Mangoma and their supporters.
“I have not run out of manpower, but ndirikuti kana muchida struggle yekuti uyai tiite change, ngatibvisei Zanu PF, let’s work together. But if you do not want to work with me, you are free to leave.”
Biti, Mangoma, youth assembly chairman Solomon Madzore, Harare provincial chairman Paul Madzore and Warren Park MP Elias Mudzuri did not attend the rally again.
Mangoma’s lawyer Jacob Mafume said his client stayed well clear of the gathering because of “rogue elements that are prone to violence.”
“Our client could not attend the rally because of some rogue elements that are intent on hurting him as was the case at Harvest House recently. He will attend other rallies as he is still a member of the party because his reported suspension is null and void,” said Mafume.
The leadership renewal group want Tsvangirai to step down and allow the party to call an extraordinary congress to elect a new leadership.
But the former trade unionist vowed to stay put, warning his rivals they would be humiliated if they dared challenge him for the leadership at the party’s next congress.
“There are some who wish this party away. Everyday, they are saying what they want, even journalists, they are writing what they want . . . but we are saying, they cannot destroy our collective spirit.”
Top officials who attended the rally included Nelson Chamisa, Tracy Mutinhiri, MDC-T and Fidelis Mhashu.
COMMENTS
WE SHALL SEE! POWER, POWER!
I always think an educated dictator is better than the non educates one,imagine if tsvangirai had won the presidency,how dentrimental ,he would have been if he does not follow the constition of his party.Mugabe did not bed hope from one skirt to another as soon as he got into the goverment,with tsvangirai ,we saw a political clown .We are sick of Tsvangirai more than Mugabe,it his because of his lack of visionary ideas,we are stuck in an ungrowing opposition,Opposition is not tsvangirai,opposition is the people,and l think tsvangirai is standing in the people’s way now,Not just him,All of them.
ulamanga
Barabas, in case you have forgotten, Mugabe killed more than 20 000 innocent civilians during Gukurahundi. He indeed hopped from bed to bed even as his wife Sally lay dying from a kidney ailment. Bona and Robert were born of a Catholic father but out of wedlock. Tsvangirai was a widow when he did the bed hopping – undesirable though it may have been.
Having said that, Tsvangirai is becoming an embarrassment. I don’t know that poverty stricken Zimbabweans who have been reduced to a state of hopelessness, penury, hunger and starvation by Mugabe are happy that at least he has 6 degrees. I am not sure what sort of comfort one derives from being oppressed by the educated.
Thank you Babaras , my thoughts exactly. If you have a constitution, then follow it do not take the rest of the nation to be idiots that can not see the writing on the wall in regards to your behavior. MDC needs a leader with a clean image and they need to prove to us as a nation that they are different, if he becomes a dictator before he becomes president , then in my eyes the Devil I know in uncle Bob is better. at least with them I know what to expect I am not lying to myself that there will be a brighter future.
Democracy means letting people express their ideas freely without condemnation, it helps to create a better system and organization, Tsvangirai has failed to show true leadership in this issue, instead of taking things as a personal attack why not take it as constructive criticism , MDC was supposed to be for the people not for Tsvangirai, DO NOT DESTROY THAT WHICH YOU BUILT
Imi makadzidza makatadza kuisa ma strategies ekuti party ihwine ma elections. Maivepi when the party lost? Siyai Tsvangirai akadaro, endai munoita mabasa amakaendera kuchikoro. Kuve mupolitics hazvirevi kuti unofanira kuva muhutungamiriri chete. Viva Tsvangirai
Joseph, are those who are advocating for leadership renewal saying Tsvangirai is uneducated or simply that he is incompetent? Please advise me on who and when anyone alluded to the issue of education.
Sounds like Tsvangirai honestly believes the party is his personal project. He wants Welshman Ncube and company back but, everyone must fall into line, whether or not he messes up. What he forgot to say is those who choose to voice concerns will be beaten up.
PRIMITIVE and dictatorial. A great admirer of one Robert Mugabe. No wonder why he prefers Zanu P.F. women.
lucyTT is correct let us not destroy what has been built, there is a party constitution to follow, I sometimes wonder if there is not some zanu hand in this unconstitutional behavior within the mdc-t
Hutungamiriri hune gwara rahunobviswa nahwo kubva pane mumwe huchienda kune mumwe asi vanaBiti nanaMangoma vakaita zvavarikuita izvo vachafanana nanaMutambara and Ncube manje manje, vatengesi savana Mutambara vakazoonekwa pamuchato waBona.Havasi vanhu vanoviga zvemumba mavo saka they are not worth to be politicians, makonye.
Every week we have articles on Tsvangirai and every week he gets a bad press and every week he fails to understand that the people want him to go but this week he puts things into perspective, he is power crazy and thinks the people owe him and that makes him a dictator in waiting.
The violent youth are nothing different to Mugabes green bombers and that he needs them to enforce his power and intimidate others shows his true colours. That he bussed them in and then led Elton down stairs to be assaulted by them showed me he knew what was happening.
He is a bed hopping, uneducated embarrassment and has lost his support. A new opposition will rise and take all his support and he will become a has been, just like his party. It is time for the Mangoma’s, Musiwe’s, Makoni and Biti to unite and prepare for the next elections. Maybe a coalition with Zunde would make a good government of the future, but for now we have no alternative and ZANUPF will remain in power so long as we have this buffoon in opposition.
He keeps reducing it to a matter of his popularity versus other personalities, thereby avoiding the crux of the matter – the charges laid against him.
Iwe Tsvangson ndiwe ineshavi rekudyiwa, isu vanhu takahwina & you lost it for us. Now you want to loose for the 4th time! No Morgidza, kwete after all you never even won a seat in your own home, kenneth Manyonda beat you, saka think before you speak.
Please advise Mangoma to follow the constitution of the party on leadership renewal. Isu magrade seven tataura
Leave Tsvangirai alone, he formed a political party which he has continued to lead legitimately. He has not tempered with the constitution to give himself an advantage like what vaMugabe did to abolish the post of SG then held by Tekere to make himself 1st Sec. Tsvangirayi shared power with others in the party including Biti and Mangoma.We in the party know these have been powerful figures nowonder they now think they are ripe for the throne. The failure of the MDC to date cannot leave out Biti. When he says we had no message its like admitting to sabotaging the people’s project. Im am sure a lot of ground has been lost by Biti after his 10mins ZBC stint.A lot of theories can now find fertile ground. A few hours ago he posted on his Wananchi and referred to his favourate”stolen election”> He should be regretting.
Why is it people are pushing for Tsvangirai ouster where as we have a dictator who is causing all this and says he cant go because his party will intergrate he is more worried about zanu than zimbabwe leave Tsvangirai alone make more noise about Robert mugabe, COWARDS.
I told u Biti is being used by Zanu thats why we are in the trenches flushing out these sell-outs,Viva SAVE.Vanogara Pasi Chete hatimbovaregera vachaona Save Vachingoshaina hatina basa nemari yemadonours vanonyomba muchaneta Tsvangirai haaendiswe neZanu kwete Project yenyu makoniva maakurambireika kubuda muite zvenyu makamirirei?maRally hamuchaendi munotongasei musikuvanhu??? Maudzwa kuti chiendai makamirirei mari muinayo nhai Biti????.makanotoraka imwe kunaBennet muchaonakuti mari haivhoti .endai mumigwagwa munozwa kuti non card carrying member is saying what about you and tsvangirai??? Munogara pasi chete as long ‘Save’ is stil there.Sory Magents aye apamaToilets nt anofamba.munoshoresa vanhu vakadzidza imi,kutadza kuona zvinoonekwa nemugrade7.Aids yapinda mupfungwa muchatonga sei vanaBiti?
Baseless party and man, EU tried to resign African hero Mr Mugabe and appoint a man whose origin is unknown in the meantime slave to others but failed any way!!
I honestly think that we should move from a populist mentality and let democracy prevail. What we need is for people to believe in MDC as a whole not based on I dividuals. TSVANGIRAI had his his chance to stand in as party president and he did so diligently but now has come a time to let someone come in his position and allow continuity. Him steping down as party president doesn’t mean he is being kicked out of the party, there are many other essential roles he can play within the party. People did the same with Mugabe supposing that no one was deserving or fit to replace him but here we are, at the age of 90+ he is still president. Tsvangirai needs to act wisely and step aside giving room for democracy to prevail within the party, even at national level transparency is realised.
Such utterances of sayi g if you don’t want to work with me leave is a wrong perception of things, he does not own MDC and noone does.
I have suffered at the hands of ZANU PF and my blood bleeds MDC but Tsvangirai needs to step aside.
please Tsvangirai do us all a favour and desist from Mugabeism spirit.
If its so simplistic why cant Biti and Mangoma quietly move out of MDC-T and form an MDC-t party as their party and challenge both Tsvangirai and Mugabe in an election.
Why?. an MDC-B (Mbitis MDC) or MDC-M (Maridzwas MDC)or MDC-B/M is a failed project. They are all aware of it. Shame on them.