Source: SOUTHERN NEWS | Moyo disowns Khupe – DailyNews Live
Jeffrey Muvundusi 14 February 2018
BULAWAYO – Mainstream MDC national chairperson Lovemore Moyo, who recently
revealed his intention to quit politics, has dismissed reports of having
any link with one of the party’s factions allegedly led by deputy
president Thokozani Khupe.
Moyo, national organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe and Khupe have been
viewed as the kingpins of the cabal that has been strongly opposed to MDC
president Morgan Tsvangirai’s stance on the MDC Alliance.
The cabal has been boycotting all events that have to do with the MDC
Alliance, sending their message bold to the proponents of the alliance, in
the process leaving the party on the verge of collapse.
Yesterday, Moyo distanced himself from the faction in an exclusive
interview with Southern News.
“The allegations that I belong to the so-called Khupe faction are
unfounded and false,” Moyo said.
“My position in the party as the national chairman and chairman of the
national disciplinary committee does not allow me to belong to a
particular faction within the party,” he said.
Probed further to explain his position since he had on numerous occasions
seemingly agreed in principle with Khupe, Moyo said: “I don’t know where
it comes from.
I thought it was an imagination of some few misguided elements within the
party and media, because I am not and will never be a faction person.”
The former speaker of Parliament also dismissed claims that he and others
aligned to the Khupe faction were contemplating joining the Joice
Mujuru-led PRC as power struggles reach tipping point.
“That is a lie. I can safely speak for myself that I have never dialogued
and had a meeting with the said PRC officials.”
Turning to the party’s internal factional fights, Moyo still believes that
party’s fortunes will turn around.
“Chances of the so-called warring factions uniting are bright. We have
already begun a process of closing ranks within the party leadership. In
that regard, a series of the party leadership meetings has been scheduled
to take place this week,” Moyo said.
The former Matobo North MP said the power struggles were a result of
individuals who have exhibited “unquenchable thirst for power”.
“The party hasn’t changed its ideological thrust since its formation, that
is, being social democratic and a labour-oriented movement.
“The current political challenges in the party have nothing to do with the
principles and values of the party. On the contrary, it has to do with
individuals who are exhibiting unquenchable thirst for power by all means
necessary.”
Asked who has the right and capacity to lead the main opposition among the
three vice presidents, Moyo preferred to refer to the party’s
constitution.
“It’s not about what one thinks who should lead the party. It’s about who
the party structures attending the national congress choose to lead the
party. The election of the party president is governed by the party
constitution and any qualified member of the party is free to contest any
vacant position in the party, including that one of the president.
“So, it does not necessarily mean that the party members are restricted to
choose their president from the current three vice presidents. In short,
it does not mean that the qualities of a vice president are the same to
those ones for the president of the party.”
He, however, feels that despite the leadership squabbles in the party,
everybody remained loyal to Tsvangirai.
“It is now public knowledge that our president has not been well for some
time and that he is seeking treatment in South Africa. The party and
structures have remained loyal to his vision of a democratic and
prosperous Zimbabwe. Both the party and MDC Alliance remain loyal to his
leadership and wishing him a speedy recovery and good health,” he said.
He added: “Remember, in his absence, there has been an ad-hoc leadership
arrangement for both the party and MDC Alliance which seems to be working
at the moment.
In other words, president Tsvangirai is still the MDC president and the
MDC Alliance presidential candidate for 2018 harmonised elections.”
. . . as Sibanda tears into MDC VP
Bulawayo provincial spokesperson for the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC, Felix
Mafa Sibanda, has taken his gloves off against party deputy president
Thokozani Khupe whom he accuses of high-jacking party members in the
province to pursue her political ambitions as cracks continue to widen in
the troubled party.
Over the weekend, Sibanda issued a statement on behalf of the province
backing the appointment of vice president Nelson Chamisa as the acting
party president in Tsvangirai’s absence.
Party provincial secretary Nomvula Mguni dismissed the move by Sibanda,
accusing him of issuing personal views disguised as provincial statements.
“It’s his personal view. We never sat as a province to discuss such an
issue. I am the secretary of the province and I am not aware of that and
what that means.
It means he is speaking on his behalf not on behalf of the province,”
Mguni said in reaction.
However, Sibanda did not take the response by Mguni lightly and described
her as one of those who had been high-jacked by Khupe in their
anti-alliance mission.
“The majority of the Bulawayo executive and structures are not surprised
by the anti-MDC Alliance and anti-VP Chamisa’s acting capacity for the MDC
party,” Sibanda told Southern News.
“We want to reiterate once and for all that it is most unfortunate that
some of our members have been hijacked by VP Khupe and her other two
colleagues. It is on record that Khupe has been boycotting the national
standing, national executive and national council meetings for more than
three months or more,” he said.
Sibanda said this was evidence that Khupe and her cabal were anti-alliance
and “enemies of the people”.
He said while MDC was a democratic party that accepted divergent views it
could not accept outrageous selling out for self-preservation.
“We therefore, shame anyone who uses tribal or ethnic card to divide
Zimbabweans. We are one people, one nation with one density. We are
calling everyone in Bulawayo in particular and Zimbabwe in general to
refuse tribalism, ethnicity, regionalism, corruption, and all other
divisive mechanism being applied by the anti-Alliance renegades so to
speak,” he said.
“Khupe and her colleagues must rethink for there is still time to
reconcile and move forward as a team of the MDC family. Splits are most
counterproductive and a humiliation to the hopeful nation,” Sibanda said.
Khupe could not be reached for comment yesterday while her spokesperson,
Witness Dube, accused Sibanda of seeking political relevance.
“We don’t have any motive to justify his nonsense. He is just but trying
to seek political relevance so we can’t respond to that nonsense as we are
not in his league,” Dube said.
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