MDC-T wants Moyo expelled, recalled from Parliament

DISGRUNTLED members of the MDC-T Bulawayo province want former provincial chairman Mr Gorden Moyo to be expelled from the party and recalled from representing the party in Parliament accusing him of being a coward and sellout, Sunday News reported.

Mr Moyo last Friday announced that he was resigning from the helm of the party in the province citing what he termed confusion, infighting and violence which was similar to the chaos that had taken place in the building of the Biblical tower of Babel.

He, however, said he would continue as the party's House of Assembly representative for Makokoba.

Party insiders said members from his constituency, Makokoba, had petitioned the provincial council calling for the party to recall Mr Moyo from representing them in the National Assembly.

According to party sources the province has been thrown into turmoil with reports that they will be calling an urgent provincial council meeting in the next two weeks to resolve the issue.

A senior Makokoba district executive member revealed that news of Mr Moyo's resignation was met with jubilation as this confirmed that the embattled former chairperson did not have the objectives of the party at heart.

The member, who requested anonymity, alleged that Mr Moyo had for the past two months been forming parallel structures in the district using his connections within the non-governmental organisations in Bulawayo to lure people under the pretext of giving them food handouts.

"When news reached the province yesterday (Friday) people celebrated thinking that he had resigned entirely from the party. However, when they heard that he had only resigned from being the chairperson there was disappointment.

"The truth is Mr Moyo is no longer wanted in the district, people are saying they voted for an MDC-T MP not a sellout. Therefore, they are now pushing the province to consider the petition calling for his recalling with immediate effect, everyone knows that he is busy setting up parallel structures, which are mainly made up of people aligned to the renewal faction," said the district executive member.

The member also alleged that Mr Moyo clashed with Makokoba councillor and district chairperson, Councillor James Sithole after he refused to work with him.

"It is now an odd set-up because while the MP and councillor are expected to work together, Mr Moyo has made it clear that he won't work with Clr Sithole, he holds meetings in the constituency and never invites the councillor.

"Some youths aligned to him have been going around intimidating people in the suburb, threatening them that if they continued working with the councillor they won't benefit from any programme in the constituency," said the source.

Mr Moyo, however, refuted these allegations saying he did not have any people but served the constituency as a whole.

"I do not have any people, people can fight among themselves but if they fight calling themselves my people then it is wrong, I am the MP for Makokoba and that does not entail just a certain fragmented part of Makokoba," said Mr Moyo.

Clr Sithole declined comment saying according to party procedures he was not allowed to talk to the media.

"On that issue can you please talk to the acting provincial chairperson Ms Dorcas Sibanda or our information department they are the ones responsible for talking to the media," said Clr Sithole.

Bulawayo acting provincial chairperson, Ms Dorcas Sibanda said it was business as usual in the party, saying that Mr Moyo's resignation was not in any way going to weaken the party.

She said they had to consult the national organising department on what should be done as the post was a very critical one and had implications on the overall status of the party.

"To us it is business as usual, what will happen is that we have a provincial meeting which is coming up and we will obviously discuss this Gorden Moyo issue. What you should realise is that Mr Moyo was not only a provincial member but he was also a national council member.

Therefore, we have to seek guidance from the national organising team, but I am sure that we will reach a decision during that meeting.

"What we are happy about is that at least he did not join the renewal team and remains a member of the party because obviously we would not want to donate any of our members to any party or movement," said Ms Sibanda.

Asked on her ambitions on becoming the substantive chairperson, Ms Sibanda said whenever she reached a decision she would make it public. "I will wait for God's time, which I believe will be the best time, if that time comes I will make it public," she said.

Other party members who have been tipped to replace Mr Moyo include the provincial organising secretary, Mr Albert Mhlanga and Bulawayo deputy mayor, Councillor Gift Banda.

Mr Moyo emerged from his three months sabbatical last Friday and immediately announced his resignation from the embattled party saying he would, however, remain an ordinary party member and Member of Parliament for Makokoba constituency.