via Tsvangirai blames Bob for party chaos 29/04/2014 by AFP in NewZimbabwe
LOYALISTS of long-time Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai voted to oust members of a rival faction from their party on Tuesday, as a split in the forces battling President Robert Mugabe deepened.
Former prime minister Tsvangirai moved to regain control of the party he has led since its birth 15 years ago, and which appears set for an irrevocable fissure.
The Movement for Democratic Change’s national council voted to expel ex-finance minister and party stalwart Tendai Biti and all members of a group who on Saturday voted to suspended Tsvangirai as leader.
The infighting leaves the MDC’s future in serious doubt just months after it suffered a crushing electoral defeat at the hands of Mugabe.
Mugabe’s victory prompted much soul searching among the opposition, which had reluctantly formed a power-sharing government with Mugabe for the four years before the election.
Biti, who had been secretary general of the party, had been among those who called for a more fierce opposition to Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party.
Tsvangirai said there would be a party congress in October.
Keeping close watch … Riot police monitor the crowds at the MDC-T offices in Harare
“It does not make Mugabe stronger, far from it. Mugabe’s strength cannot be based on power, it has to be based on popularity,” he said.
“I don’t believe President Mugabe has the popular support of the people of Zimbabwe.”
Tsvangirai said all the three successive elections he lost to Mugabe were rigged.
“I have never lost an election in this land,” he said. “The solid support that we enjoy in this country is unquestionable.”
Tsvangirai said the Saturday meeting by Biti and his team was secretly planned without the knowledge of the party.
“For a very long time we believed Tendai Biti believed in something, the man does not believe in anything other than his hypocrisy.
Hundreds of Tsvangirai supporters sang and danced outside Harvest House, the party’s headquarters, where the former premier addressed them.
COMMENTS
Tsvangirai is flopping about like a fish. The constitution of the MDC clearly allows the Secretary General to convene a meeting of the National Council. A quorum of the National Council is at least half of it’s membership. The National Council can suspend any “organ” including the President. So what Biti and co did was not illegal and not unconstitutional.
The simple fact is that way more than half of the National Council want Tsvangirai suspended. Imagine how exciting it would be for us all if the ZANU Politburo did the same thing?
Tsvangirai needs to get off his high horse and start listening to the National Council membership. I fear though that he is already too much of a “big man” to do so.
Sorry what u wish for is not going to happen. The majority of Zimbabwe know exactly what they want. Morgan Tsvangirai
Kutongwa I presume you think I don’t want Tsvangirai to lead the MDC. Well I do actually. I think he has the support of millions on Zimbabweans and is a critical to overthrowing the Mugabe dictatorship. However we can’t have a dictator overthrown only to be replaced by another. Tsvangirai has to abide by the MDC constitution, drop the MDC-T nonsense, embrace the other fighters for democracy rather than sideline them. In short get off his high horse and show some leadership.
Biti and Twang are both washy washy politicians with no real leadership skills. Created by opportunity not by leadership skills. Going to have to do better than that to oust zanupf.
Tswangirai has never and will never be a good leader, all along he was having tea after tea with Mugabe seeing Welshman as the enemy wasting all the quality time to strategies on how to win elections-Poor Tswangirai.He can not
read politics him and Mugabe were busy recognising Mutambara ,now the same Mugabe will be recognising the Bitis and Tswangison will feel it now.Alas he was talking of the Ncubes coming back to the MDC of old that shows low thinking and desperation .Be desperate and remain resoanable.
Can someone remind Tsvangson that Mugabe doesn’t care a hoot about popularity. All he cares about is power and looting, regardless of the methods used to stay in power or how much he destroys the country in the process.The sooner Tsvangirsi understands this fact and acts on it the better
Biti tested the comfort of governence during the GNU,as he was a cabinet minister,so to jst let go of such privileges finds it difficult. The majority of the renewal team is made up of once cabinet or deputy ministers who are now saying after all grapes are sour. It is there hope and wish that they will please their paymaster,which they did but shooting themselves in the foot. Mari chaiyo haaite! Haiite! Haiite!
The test of power or not Tswangirai must accept that time is up and must hand over the stick ,he will continue to loose election after election despite his claim of having people on his side. We can not be stuck with tswangirai because he was the first to lead no no no!!!!!!!.To prove that Tswangirai can not think well, he is falling on Zanu PF traps .Definitely zanu pf had a hand in the party disintegration that is their strategy what is tswangirai ` strategy then, besides wailing like a puppy.He new long ting ago that zanu pf was planning his down fall , socially and politically so stop being a cry baby and think how you can unit people or else you will loose the little you have gained.
i am afraid that this team lead by gono’s lawyer could be another bunch of sponsored guns
Tsvagirai will lose this battle in court.What Biti did is legal and in line with MDC constitution. If I was Tsvangirai I will step down and guide the renewal of MDC .
tsvangirayiand biti unite
We don’t need Biti! He must go
The SS MDC-T hit an iceberg in 2008; the engines then caught fire in 2013.
There are many passengers, fully behind the captain. The ship still has momentum from before its two disaters. But it is slowly sinking.
Perhaps five or so more years before the majority of passengers realise and begin to jump.
tsvangira was slave and will ever be!
Wishes wishes wishes.pamberi nekudzinga vatengesi,kuhondo zvainzi pasi nawo.