Where is Holland?

via Where is Holland? – DailyNews Live 1 July 2014 Thelma Chikwanha

HARARE – A thick cloud of confusion is plaguing the MDC rebels after they ditched Sekai Holland as the interim leader.

The breakaway MDC’s national council meeting held at Mandel Training Centre in May placed the leadership of the party in the hands of the Guardian Council chaired by Holland.

But Holland was conspicuously absent at a weekend meeting where Tendai Biti emerged as the leader.

Holland told the Daily News in a telephone interview that she was never installed as interim leader.

“Nobody ever said Holland was the leader but what was mentioned at Mandel was that the Guardian Council will be custodians,” she said.

“There is nowhere it was said Mai Holland had accepted. Our position is that the Guardian Council wants unity. There is no way we can win elections divided.

“Why should people continue to say Holland because there are 30 people in the Guardian Council and our role is to go to congress, we are simply saying batanai tiende kuno (be united) winner.”

At a provincial meeting held in Harare on Saturday, Biti was presented as the outfit’s leader.

Jacob Mafume, spokesperson for the Renewal Team, said that there was nothing sinister about Holland’s absence.

“We haven’t ditched Holland,” Mafume told the Daily News. “She is still in the position the council (national) bestowed on her. A number of people did  not come to the meeting because they had other engagements.

“It was a Harare all-structures meeting. The person in charge of the meeting was Paul Madzore. He presided over that meeting.”

According to section 6.5.3 of the MDC’s constitution, the guardian’s council is tasked with offering advice to the national leadership, to carry out advocacy work and to conduct investigations, arbitrations and reconciliation in disputes within the party.

Holland said the guardian’s council was in the process of trying to unite the warring factions.

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