via Ceasefire in MDC-T as factions ‘bury hatchet’ | SW Radio Africa by Tichaona Sibanda on Tuesday, March 25, 2014
MDC-T President Morgan Tsvangirai and the ‘renewal team,’ a faction that has been advocating for his removal as party leader, have closed ranks and vowed on Tuesday to work together and embrace unity.
Last Friday the party’s standing committee held a five hour ‘no holds barred’ retreat at which some members spent half the time dodging verbal hand grenades thrown at them. In the end both sides agreed to bury the hatchet.
Party spokesman Douglas Mwonzora struck an upbeat note about the situation in the party now, saying it was improving and he hoped a united opposition will emerge to deal with the pressing economic, social and political issues, created since President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU PF party ‘won’ last year’s elections.
On Tuesday Mwonzora told SW Radio Africa that following a national executive meeting of the party those that were trying to drive a wedge between Tsvangirai and secretary-general Tendai Biti have failed.
For the first time since the party was rocked by the infighting, Biti and other members of the renewal team attended a press conference addressed by Tsvangirai at Harvest House.
‘We’ve all put our egos and bruised feelings aside and come back and to do what is the right thing for our nation,’ said Mwonzora.
He confirmed rivals have closed ranks, at a time when the party was shaken by three months of bitter infighting, triggered by a four-page letter authored by the suspended deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma calling for Tsvangirai to step down.
‘We must train our guns against Mugabe and ZANU PF, not at our comrades,” he said, adding that everyone in the top party leadership have given their assurance that they will support Tsvangirai’s leadership.
Mwonzora said the coming four years will be crucial as the party gears up for the 2018 general election.
‘We don’t have any capital for party infighting. We should look at ways of revitalising ourselves and retain all members who left the party to join or form other political parties.’
COMMENTS
Really? This lack of tolerance is worrying…maybe Mangoma was not exactly right procedurally but he was also not exactly wrong principally. MDC needs to renew itself .. and that starts at the very top!!!
THIS IS CIVILISED AND MATURE POLITICS! WELL DONE LEADERSHIP OF THE MDC T! TOLERATE DIFFERENCES WITHOUT FRAGMENTING! SOME WERE NOW RUBBING THEIR HANDS WITH GLEE! COMMONSENSE HAS PREVAILED AT LAST! CONGRATS!
Remember to join forces with other opposition, you cant do this alone
Quite correct let’s look at the bigger picture. If this MDC-T executive wants to put the country first they need to engage as equals with the MDC-N, ZAPU & Simba Makoni’s party to form a united opposition front where egos are put aside. The way things are going they might not have to wait until 2018 but they have to to they should be thoroughly prepared. There will be plenty of time for each group to push their own agendas once the monster i.e. ZPF has been removed. Statesman don’t think of themselves they put their country first. Let’s truly see the rebirth of a Movement for Democratic Change.
This is nonsense, these Mdc guys want to enjoy their life on the expenses of other others , most cadres had passed away hoping to see change , but things are still haze . We want them to tell us how best are they going to address election thuggery and rigging. Right now they were making a lot of noise , instead of dealing & analyzing how the thief stole the election .what coarse of action is taken when one steals from someone visibly on a broad day light , guys from Mdc , chii chaizvo ‘,are u still having interest of people at heart or you are now concerntrating on your personnall interest?
“You ain’t nothing yet”
Vana Biti dzungu and kuda kuva President overnight were creating confusion. Tsvangirai is a humble fighter and they wanted to take him for a ride. I want to encourage aspiring party cadres to challenge Biti and company at the congress because they think they are indespensable
No hatchet buried if mangoma is still suspended. No closing down of ranks if mangoma continues to be isolated for saying the truth unless those pulling the reigns of power in the mdc-t are there to perpetuate zanu-pf agendas. It is also surprising the likes of biti are also giving in to this normalcy only characteristic to zanu-pf.
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE !!!
I said before that if Biti, is going form another party, that was going to be the end of his political career, because i don’t see any new party being popular than mdc t, people can say whatever they think abt Tsvangirai, that is not going to change anything. Because his suppoters they think he has failled to dislodge zanu pf because of the current system which is in place in terms of election, and that is true. No leader of any party will win against zanu, unless they fight the system first, which I’m sure Tsvangirai, is going to do that first before he commit himself to n election, otherwise without that is just waste of time. Zimbabweans/mdc t suppoters r only going to judge him when he is in power and without the involvement of zanu pf, that is when they will be saying has failled, we need another leader/party. The same what happened to zanu pf I don’t think people they did judge bob before being the president.
if the head is sick, the body is sick.
Mdc needs a new head so the body can go well
Morgan resign