Biti to recruit more members in Bulawayo

THE MDC Renewal Team's national executive will be in Bulawayo on Saturday to strengthen its structures and recruit more members in the province as the country's main opposition party inexorably heads for a split, the state media reported.

Jacob Mafume, the spokesperson for the renewal team, yesterday told Chronicle that his faction was on a "meet the structures" crusade that would see its leaders visiting all the provinces.

The MDC-T won all the 12 parliamentary seats in Bulawayo Province and its MPs and members are deeply divided. Some have remained loyal to Morgan Tsvangirai, while others have jumped ship to support Biti's rebellion.

"We launched our programme in Harare in a bid to strenghten our structures and discuss fundamental issues that are important for the party and the nation as a whole. We've already met our structures in Harare and this weekend we're in Bulawayo before we visit other provinces as well," said Mafume.

"The major issue to be discussed at these meetings is the socio-economic challenges that are affecting the country. I believe that our party is the ideal answer to all the country's challenges and we promise a better future to the people of Zimbabwe."

Mafume said his party, which he described as "strong" was not worried about the threat of disturbances posed by Tsvangirai's faction, saying only a few people belonged to his grouping.

He said the renewal team's provincial and district structures countrywide were already strong and only needed to be consolidated.

Douglas Mwonzora, the spokesperson for the Tsvangirai faction, insisted they were not worried about any programmes held by the renewal team, adding that the faction had no meaningful agenda.

"We're not worried at all. They've no agenda at all because they're busy pre-occupying themselves by denigrating our party president, Tsvangirai. They have nobody else to attack and we know they're doomed.

"They're fighting the person who's supposed to be their leader and that's all they can do."

Swithern Chirowodza, the secretary for policy and research in Bulawayo Province, who is aligned to Tsvangirai's faction, warned their members against attending the renewal team's meetings.

"According to policy, the people who joined the renewal team automatically expelled themselves from the party and they're no longer part of us. Bulawayo party members who will be seen attending these meetings will, therefore, be considered expelled from the MDC-T," said Chirowodza.

The two factions are currently embroiled in a property wrangle, including control of Harvest House, the party's headquarters.