via RadioVop Zimbabwe – Fresh Cracks To Rock MDC-T 22 August 2014
Fresh cracks are set to rock the MDC-T after party vice-president Thokozani Khupe teamed up with senior officials to thwart leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s bid to centralise power.
Party officials this week told the Zimbabwe Independent that Khupe, along with party spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora and organising secretary Nelson Chamisa, vehemently opposed the idea of amending the MDC-T constitution to centralise power in the hands of the party leader.
Tsvangirai’s backers had proposed changes to the MDC-T constitution, which would among other things weaken the secretary-general’s authority, while allowing the president to appoint members of the standing committee.
The proposals include creating a second vice-president’s position.
The MDC-T is seeking to borrow from the Zanu PF template where President Robert Mugabe appoints the politburo and enjoys unfettered powers.
Tsvangirai is also said to be keen to limit the secretary-general’s powers as he believes the position gives the holder power to manipulate party structures. He has faced rebellion from two of his former secretaries-general in Welshman Ncube, who led a breakaway group in 2005, and Tendai Biti who was “expelled” from the party earlier this year and leads a splinter formation.
Khupe and other senior party officials are said to have mobilised the national executive to resist the recommendations at a national executive meeting held in Kadoma last week.
The proposed constitutional changes were shot down as they were demeed undemocratic.
Sources said the proposals were being pushed by MDC-T deputy chairperson Morgen Komichi, who is tipped for the second vice-presidency at the party congress to be held in October following the flight of top party leaders, among them Biti and deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma amid calls for leadership renewal.
Komichi has the backing of national executive member Morgan Femai for the position of party second vice-presidency.
However, a source privy to the goings-on in the party indicated that Komichi was at the forefront pushing for the constitutional changes that could give Tsvangirai unfettered powers.
“The prime mover is Komichi who claimed that he had travelled across the country and sought the views of party members and they had said they wanted the constitutional changes,” said the source who preferred anonymity.
Though Komichi is eyeing the vice-presidency, sources said Tsvangirai’s preferred candidate is Mufakose legislator Paurina Mpariwa, following his fallout with Khupe who has been blamed for the factional fights in Matabeleland and Bulawayo.
MDC-T national chairperson Lovemore Moyo is also targeting the same position.
“The party wants to make sure that there is regional and gender balance when electing the two deputy presidents. Femai wants to be appointed vice-chairman of the party. It’s just a little minority, a clique of unelectable people. It is insignificant but very dangerous because of the influence it has on Tsvangirai. If Tsvangirai is not careful, it can lead to another split in the party,” the source added.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka said the issues would be addressed at a press conference today.
In a statement last week, Tamborinyoka said the constitutional review had nothing to do with entrenching anyone’s position, but strengthening the party as an institution.
“As the current leader of our democratic party, president Tsvangirai will not allow the process to degenerate into the creation of all-powerful individuals, especially in the presidency,” he said. “Zimbabwe has sad stories to tell on the abuse of the powers of an executive president and we have learnt that autocracy is a monumental vice that cannot be mimicked, even in a party constitution.”
Party members are already jostling for posts with Women’s Assembly chairperson and now acting treasurer-general, Theresa Makone, vying for the treasurer’s post which is also eyed by current deputy secretary-general Tapiwa Mashakada.
Chamisa is said to be vying for the secretary-general’s post and is likely to fight it out with Mwonzora.
COMMENTS
Have you ever seen the DSTV programm “Monkey World”, in it the Chimpanzees often go mad and scream and hit each other, achieving nothinbg. Does it remind you of something. Makes me sick!
All about power, all about who calls the shots, all about making fortunes….Nothing, not one word about leadership for the people! MDC-T-PF!
tsvangirai should be careful.i think he wants to be another mugabe in mdc t.we have seen how detrimental it is to such power powers to power hungry individuals.even tsvangirai used to criticise mugabe for his actions and decisions he made because he was given so much power so why would he want to have such powers if he is a democratic leader with democratic principles.thanks to kuphe chamisa and others for standing against this idea.never allow this to to happen in mdc t .we have seen how mugabe has oppressed everyone in zanu and zimbabwe because of these powers.
CONSTITUTIONS OF POLITICAL ARTIES SHOULD NOT GRAVITATE AROUND PERSONALITIES BUT PRINCIPLES (KOMICHI ET AL 2014)! STOP THEM ON THE RAILS AND THEN DERAIL THEM!THEY MUST BE CRAZY AND OVER AMBITIOUS!
Scrabbling for prestige before and yet unable to gain power. Methinks all opposition is far too educated
Wrong heading reporter. Why do you say that when a certain section differs with the president are signs of crack? It shows that MDC is a democratic party, that only applies to ZPF where the leadership simply rubber stamp Bobs decisions.
Your website has changed since the departure of Barbra Goss. Its no longer informative but covers only peripheral issues. What has gone wrong? Its like we are reading the Herald online.
@JT-Well said and it releases news too late as if they get it from other websites.This website has lost its credibility.
Fighting is part of revolutionizing, during the war there was much fighting that is why ZAPU then ZIPRA was divided from first being the only party and split into ZAnla. True MDC will emerge.
Yaah, Gukurahundi Tsvangirayi’s efforts at ZANU PF gukurahundism should be thwarted at every turn; well done guys, well done.
It is all about strengthening the party as an institution as opposed to entrenching power. The spokesperson said it all.
Even the gukurahundi party started that way in the 1980s – with all sorts of justifications, that at face value appeared reasonable; we all know how it all what is has become today; a one-big-man’s-word-is-final organisation. Go ahead, if thats what you want!!