via Bulawayo24 NEWS | Tendai Biti’s team targets Matabeleland 01 July 2014 by Staff reporter
THE MDC-T renewal team heads to Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South this week to unveil its new colours and set up structures as it forges ahead with plans to form a new political party.
The MDC-T renewal team held its structures’ meeting in Harare on Saturday where it unveiled orange as its colour, in a significant step towards forming a new party.
MDC-T renewal team interim chairperson Samuel Sipepa Nkomo told Southern Eye the grouping was not “Harare-based” but would be progressively rolling out its programmes throughout the country.
He said in July, they would focus on Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South.
“We are not only in Harare. We have been to Masvingo, the Midlands, and Mashonaland West. This week we will be in Chitungwiza. In July we will be in Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South. It’s a process, but I do not have the dates on me as I am in Sipepa (Tsholotsho),” Sipepa Nkomo said.
The renewal team’s spokesperson Jacob Mafume was quoted in weekend newspapers saying the orange colour adopted by the group represented social democrats and signified the ripening of the revolution.
Promise Mkhwananzi, the former secretary-general of the MDC-T youth assembly confirmed the renewal team was heading to Bulawayo to set up proper structures.
“We will be in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South as part of our structure rejuvenation programme to fill gaps on the structures where the suspended group continues to cause confusion,” he said.
“We are working towards a united democratic front to unseat Zanu-PF. We have been to various provinces to explain to them what has been happening and the way forward.”
The MDC-T and the renewal team are also at loggerheads over the control of party properties.
Chaos and infighting over party assets and control of the party began playing out after the crushing loss to Zanu-PF in the July 31 2013 elections. After the elections, calls for party leader Morgan Tsvangirai to step down grew with accusations he made unilateral decisions to participate in the elections in the full knowledge the vote would be “rigged”.
He allegedly usurped a national executive resolution to demand reforms before polls.
In letters that sparked the fall-out early this year, expelled deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma accused Tsvangirai of abusing State funds meant for his government house when he was prime minister in the coalition government.
COMMENTS
Uniting Opposition? Biti has undone everything by departing from MDC. Unification is only possible if those concerned sublimate their ego’s for the sake of the country and these guys never will . They are ego driven like most.
We were informed through the press that the so called renewal team would hold its national conference over the weekend. Now that the attendance was less than encouraging we are being told that it was a meeting of Harare structures. may be this says a lot about the so called renewal team. Are we to assume that the people who attended the weekend conference at Nelson mandela hall were a rented crowd who were promised money for school fees and groceries.
I was not impressed. Again we here a spin about Madzore organising those who attended. Madzore of all people is not able to organise anything other than violence in Glen View. A visit to Madzore’s constituency will reveal that Madzore is known in his own constituency more for violence against women than for organising the community. Empty heads like Femai are more popular with people in Glen View than Madzore. Paul Madzore is just a thug.
Itayi
Leave them alone. If you dont support them thats fine, just mind your own business – thats all!!
AS MDCs SG HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING A POWERFUL ELECTION MANIFESTO. WHAT AN AMBITIOUS BOY! FORGET IT IN MATABELELAND BOY! WE ARE ALL BEHIND MT!
Enough is enough, Matebeland is not amused by vigilantes who use us as fishing baits for their agendas. Its not like any of these people care about Mat. but they manipulate us to tip the scale.
Eye opener Daaaa!!! how much development did the former Finance minister and Prime Minister carry out in Mat. when they had a chance. They were part of the team that backed unequal and unfair distribution of resources to the exclusion of Matebeland.
Kiss my foot!!!
Kelly
But the fault is yours – you have abandoned your own Mthwakazi leaders and flocked to support these outsiders. Many of you are after nothing but selfish positions, money and glamour at the expense of your own people; and the development of your own region. All of you now speak Shona to please these useless people.
You cant even string a few sentences in proper Ndebele without throwing in a few English words here and there for instance listen to Thokozani Khuphe; a total disaster. What an embarassment to uMthwakazi.
You have even developed these heavy Shona accents and your English pronounciation is now just the typical Shona one as we know it. You now default to Shona whenever you meet a Shona person without any compulsion on his part. You have been colonised!!
NO COMMENT
Sipepa Nkomo is a big let down, considering his experience as high profile administrator. He has allowed himself to be fooled into these students politics striking for what is on the menu! SHAME ON YOU OLD MAN!!!!
Mahlaba
Leave Siphepha alone. He is exercising the rights bestowed upon him and any other Zimbabwean by the democratic constitution of Zimbabwe. You are also allowed to do the same, should you so choose!
Mahlaba do not leave Sipepa alone. In fact do not leave any politician alone. You have a right to condemn. Do not even leave MT and Mugabe alone. In other word carry on speaking up It is your right. Condemn any party that you think stinks. They are public figures and are there to be praised or criticized.Nobody abandoned the Mthwakazi leaders. They abandoned us when they supped with the devil.
Straight Shooter my brother.”the democratic constitution of Zimbabwe”???? you are now missing the target after shooting so straight.
Dube
That Constitution was drafted with the input of the public – yes its finalisation was eventually negotiated; but still the public was involved. There was a referendum in which 90% of the electorate voted in favour. I never heard of anyone being forced to vote in one way or the other.
If to you that does not qualify as democratic – I’m afraid I dont know what you understand democracy to mean? And I am not even sure whether there is anything like a perfect democracy anywhere in the world; even in the United States itself, where George Bush jnr’s second term was decided by the courts!!
The GBU
Yes, Mahlaba can condemn any politician – I agree. But to condemn a politician for exercising his democratic right to leave what he regards as poor leadership is the height of dictatorship. If you choose to worship Tswangirayi; that is your choice – but dont expect everyone to do the same. That is my point!!