Thokozani Khupe accused of imposing candidates

INFIGHTING within MDC-T continues to intensify with the situation being worsened by the fact that the party's primary elections will be held in two weeks time.

In Bulawayo, party supporters have once again accused vice-president Thokozani Khupe of protecting people allegedly in her faction from contesting the primaries.

The primary elections would determine the candidates that will represent MDC-T in the forthcoming harmonised elections.

Party supporters are alleging that Ms Khupe is imposing "her people" and ensuring that they avoid the embarrassment of losing in the primaries.

"Khupe has rigged the Makokoba seat by announcing that she would not run, after the date for submission of applications. This ensured no one applied to contest the seat, leaving the way clear for Gorden Moyo to be declared the candidate, in a constituency supposedly reserved for women," said a party member yesterday.

"Another issue is that of Albert Mhlanga, who according to the party's disciplinary procedure, should not have been allowed to contest for the Pumula seat because he allegedly misappropriated CDF money. He was also protected by Khupe."

They accused Ms Khupe of bending the rules to accommodate her sympathisers.

Ms Khupe could not be reached for comment on her mobile phone.

However, in an interview yesterday the MDC-T national spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora dismissed reports that some party leaders, including Ms Khupe, were imposing candidates in some constituencies.

"It is not true that some party leaders are imposing candidates. There is no imposition of any candidate and that is why we called for candidates to apply to represent the party. About 42 candidates, whose applications were initially turned down, appealed and 30 of them succeeded, which means that they are going for primary elections.

"It is up to the constituencies to vote for the candidates that they want and no one will force them to vote for the people that they do not want to lead them," said Mr Mwonzora.

He said the primary elections would start on 3 May in constituencies where MDC-T does not have standing Members of Parliament.

"The national standing committee sat on Wednesday and agreed that primary elections would start on 3 May. We will start with constituencies where MDC-T does not have sitting MPs. Thereafter we will go to constituencies where we have sitting MPs and we will start by confirmation," said Mr Mwonzora.

"Each standing MP has to garner support of at least two thirds from the MDC-T members in the concerned constituencies."

He said the primary elections would most probably take two weeks, depending on business in Parliament.

"Originally we thought of starting with confirmations and then primary elections, but we then decided to start with primary elections because Parliament will be sitting for legislative regulations, the draft constitution and accompanying laws and MPs will be busy.

"We do not want to disturb them too much. The duration of the primary elections will depend on the business in Parliament," said Mr Mwonzora.

He said the party's Bulawayo provincial chairperson, Mr Gorden Moyo will stand as the parliamentary candidate for Makokoba constituency, while Ms Khupe will no longer contest in the elections.

"The official position is that Ms Khupe will not stand for any constituency. The party has put her under election proportional representation in order to give her freedom to campaign for the party throughout the constituencies around the country.

"Mr Gorden Moyo is the only one who applied to stand in as MP for the constituency and no one is contesting against him," said Mr Mwonzora.

More than 1 200 candidates submitted their names for consideration to represent MDC-T in the forthcoming elections and 200 prospective candidates were disqualified.