Most Bulawayo MPs back Tsvangirai

via Most Bulawayo MPs back Tsvangirai 29/04/2014 NewZimbabwe

The party’s guardian council member and Lobengula Member of Parliament, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo and two other MPs from Bulawayo have openly declared their allegiance to Biti’s faction.

Nkomo and Reggie Moyo, the MP for Luveve Constituency who is also the party provincial secretary for Bulawayo province, attended last Saturday’s meeting where Tsvangirai and other senior leaders of the party were suspended.

Ousted Bulawayo provincial youth chairperson and Luveve/Pelandaba MP, Bekithemba Nyathi also attended the Harare meeting.

Makokoba MP, Gorden Moyo, who recently took a sabbatical leave from his party’s provincial chairmanship post ostensibly to concentrate on his studies, is also reportedly linked to the MDC renewal team.

“We want to sniff out those pretenders from the party   and show them that Bulawayo is not a breeding ground for sell-outs,” said a senior provincial party official who refused to be named for fear of victimization.

The party‘s Bulawayo provincial executive have called for an emergency crucial provincial meeting on Saturday where suspected Biti royalists are going to be expelled.

Although most MPs, councillors and senators are rallying behind the Tsvangirai camp, others are reportedly seating on the fence, closely monitoring the unfolding events in the party.

“Some MPs and supporters are cautious of the Welshman Ncube split scenario where several MPs joined Ncube‘s party when he broke away but later joined the Tsvangirai group after realising that Tsvangirai’s faction had the backing of a lot of supporters.

“A lot of people are still weighing out which faction is influential and has got the support of a lot of people. Any faction which is likely to be given a thumps up by Zanu PF is likely to be viewed with suspicion by a lot of people,” said David Nyoni, a Bulawayo based political commentator.

Some of the MPs and senators in the province who are solidly rallying behind Tsvangirai include, Tabitha Khumalo (Bulawayo East), Thamsanga Mahlangu (Nkulumane ), Albert Mhlanga (Pumula)  Ruth Labode, Dorcas Sibanda (Bulawayo Central ), Abednico Bhebhe (Nkayi), Anele Ndebele (Magwegwe ) and Eddie Cross (Bulawayo South ).