Chamisa confident MDC-T ‘will ride out the storm’

via Chamisa confident MDC-T ‘will ride out the storm’ | SW Radio Africa 30 June 2014 by Tichaona Sibanda

Nelson Chamisa, the MDC-T national organisation secretary, issued a defiant message amid the turmoil in the party by claiming on Monday they will ‘ride out the storm.’

‘Each time the party is challenged by internal movement of tectonic plates…we emerge stronger,’ said Chamisa, adding that he was happy to see the party showing signs of life, following a tumultuous six months.

Chamisa told SW Radio Africa the party was now back on the right track and was busy organising for their elective congress set for October this year.

He said the party’s organising committee has finalised a template that will be used by the structures around the country leading up to the congress. The restructuring will be done in phases.

‘All branches should be constituted by end of July. Ward assemblies should be done in the early days of August and we want district congresses to be in place by end of August.

‘By early September, we will be winding up provincial congresses, that will be used a springboard for the national congress in October,’ he said.

External assemblies in the UK, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Botswana and South Africa have been tasked to have their provincial congresses in September.

‘The external assemblies have been asked to restructure their branches in their areas of jurisdiction with immediate effect. This process has been received with a lot of excitement as we envisage coming up with a dynamic leadership at the end of the whole restructuring exercise,’ said Chamisa.

On Saturday, Chamisa was in Bulawayo on a fact finding meeting with structures in the province. He also refuted reports in other media outlets that a member of the party, Samuel Maponde, nearly assaulted him during the meeting.

Chamisa said Maponde kept interrupting his address and was eventually ejected from the meeting peacefully. He said Maponde never at any moment charged towards him, as reported in the media.

He pointed out that they agreed to postpone holding elections to fill in positions left vacant by cadres who moved to the renewal camp, because fresh elections for all provincial posts will be held in two months time.

‘It’s pointless to elect a chairman today, knowing that the same chairman will face another election in 60 days time,’ he said.