News / Local
MDC-T battling to stop fresh defections
31 Aug 2012 at 07:27hrs | Views
The Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai is reportedly battling to stop about 350 of its members in Bulawayo's Luveve constituency from crossing the floor to join the Welshman Ncube-led MDC. The defections comes barely a week after the findings of the survey commissioned by US based organisation Freedom House showed that MDC-T is losing ground.
The alleged would-be defectors were expected to be unveiled by the MDC today, NewsDay revealed today.
On Wednesday, MDC-T deputy organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe addressed party members drawn from Luveve, Cowdray Park and Gwabalanda suburbs and implored them not to desert.
The constituency falls under MDC-T MP Reggie Moyo.
"The main purpose of this meeting is for the national management of the party to take drastic measures in addressing the disarray within the structures of the Luveve district for the good of the party," Bhebhe said at the meeting.
"No one has the right to make his or her own decision to suspend anyone from the party. We want everyone in the party. There must be peace and no discrimination. The problem in this district is that there are divisions. Why are you fighting within the party and betraying one another?
"We must learn to respect each other. The party is losing popularity because of this behaviour in the district.
"As it is, some supporters attended and some did not. We will not give Luveve a chance to fail us.
"Branch and statutory meetings should be held every week, so as to build the party."
Conducted on behalf of the US-based pro-democracy group by Mass Public Opinion Institute and supervised by South African academic Susan Booysen, the survey showed that support for the MDC-T had has fallen from 38 percent in 2010 to 20 percent this year. By contrast, backing for Zanu PF grew to 31 percent from 17 percent, over the same period.
In addition, the survey found that Mugabe would command the support of 31 percent of voters in a presidential election, compared to 19 percent for Tsvangirai, an alarming prospect for the MDC-T whose popularity stood at a healthy 55 percent no more than three years ago.
The alleged would-be defectors were expected to be unveiled by the MDC today, NewsDay revealed today.
On Wednesday, MDC-T deputy organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe addressed party members drawn from Luveve, Cowdray Park and Gwabalanda suburbs and implored them not to desert.
The constituency falls under MDC-T MP Reggie Moyo.
"The main purpose of this meeting is for the national management of the party to take drastic measures in addressing the disarray within the structures of the Luveve district for the good of the party," Bhebhe said at the meeting.
"We must learn to respect each other. The party is losing popularity because of this behaviour in the district.
"As it is, some supporters attended and some did not. We will not give Luveve a chance to fail us.
"Branch and statutory meetings should be held every week, so as to build the party."
Conducted on behalf of the US-based pro-democracy group by Mass Public Opinion Institute and supervised by South African academic Susan Booysen, the survey showed that support for the MDC-T had has fallen from 38 percent in 2010 to 20 percent this year. By contrast, backing for Zanu PF grew to 31 percent from 17 percent, over the same period.
In addition, the survey found that Mugabe would command the support of 31 percent of voters in a presidential election, compared to 19 percent for Tsvangirai, an alarming prospect for the MDC-T whose popularity stood at a healthy 55 percent no more than three years ago.
Source - newsday
