via Renewal Congress: Biti set to take over – NewZimbabwe 18/06/2015
THE MDC Renewal party says it will hold its first national convention next month where a new leadership is expected to be elected.
The convention will be held from July 24 to 26 but the venue has not yet been finalised.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, the party’s national chairman Samuel Sipepa Nkomo confirmed that the congress has been slated for July.
“We met in Gweru and agreed that we will have our congress in the last week of July. We are really busy now working on that,” said Nkomo.
Nkomo said all the positions in the party will be up for grabs at the elective congress.
Still in its infancy, the party has already witnessed a leadership wrangle with Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma fighting to influence the direction of the organisation.
Mangoma has since left to form his own outfit after he was suspended on allegations of snatching a junior member’s wife.
“All the positions will be contested for; people will be nominated for the different positions instead of having them choose which position they want,” said Nkomo.
Quizzed on which position he would go for, Nkomo chose to be diplomatic, saying that he will wait to be nominated by the party for whichever position they want him to serve in.
Nkomo also said that party structures were mandated to come up with possible names for consideration at the congress.
“We have tasked all the provinces to sit down and come up with possible names for the party and then we will deliberate on that at the congress,” he said.
A party insider who spoke to this publication intimated that secretary general Tendai Biti is likely to be elected the new president of the party.
“Biti is highly likely to take over the presidency of the party and his deputy is likely to be Sipepa Nkomo.
“Godern Moyo is likely to be the new Secretary General and Lucia Matibenga the national chairperson,” said the party insider.
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