News / Local
Omafikizolo blamed for MDC-T problems
01 Aug 2014 at 08:27hrs | Views
SOME founding members of the MDC yesterday blamed the elevation into strategic positions people they described as omafikizolo (Johnny-come-lately) for the problems bedevilling the opposition party.
Members, who requested anonymity, said power should rest in the hands of founding members if the original objectives of the party were to be realised.
They demanded that all "chancers" should be done away with at the MDC-T elective congress slated for October.
The members said most of the squabbles rocking the MDC-T were being instigated by people who joined along the way after noticing the party's vibrancy.
"Most of these guys who are now making noise and have gone to the so-called renewal team are the guys who came to the party which we had made vibrant and were offered posts ahead of us.
"It is very disappointing that after fast tracking these people into positions ahead of founding members, the leadership is now facing rebellion from those very people," one of the founding members said.
"For example Gorden Moyo, Arnold Tsunga, Elton Mangoma, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo and his wife Roselyn, to name just a few, have jumped ship. Let's stop such in our midst from taking strategic posts at whatever level during our congress."
However, MDC-T deputy national organiser Abednico Bhebhe dismissed the claims saying they were being made by people who wanted to destroy the party by claiming positions they were not qualified for.
"In the first place, all elections are conducted by party structures.
It's also not true that only the newcomers are causing problems and have joined the renewal team as we have founding members Tendai Biti, Lucia Matibenga and Sekai Holland (doing so)," he said. He added that the concerned founding members' decision to report their concerns to the media instead of the party leadership showed that they were concerned about positions and not solving party problems.
"It shows that the so-called senior members are cowards who have their own agendas of destabilising the party.
"If they are true members of the party, they would not rush to complain about the party in newspapers, but follow proper channels."
Members, who requested anonymity, said power should rest in the hands of founding members if the original objectives of the party were to be realised.
They demanded that all "chancers" should be done away with at the MDC-T elective congress slated for October.
The members said most of the squabbles rocking the MDC-T were being instigated by people who joined along the way after noticing the party's vibrancy.
"Most of these guys who are now making noise and have gone to the so-called renewal team are the guys who came to the party which we had made vibrant and were offered posts ahead of us.
"It is very disappointing that after fast tracking these people into positions ahead of founding members, the leadership is now facing rebellion from those very people," one of the founding members said.
However, MDC-T deputy national organiser Abednico Bhebhe dismissed the claims saying they were being made by people who wanted to destroy the party by claiming positions they were not qualified for.
"In the first place, all elections are conducted by party structures.
It's also not true that only the newcomers are causing problems and have joined the renewal team as we have founding members Tendai Biti, Lucia Matibenga and Sekai Holland (doing so)," he said. He added that the concerned founding members' decision to report their concerns to the media instead of the party leadership showed that they were concerned about positions and not solving party problems.
"It shows that the so-called senior members are cowards who have their own agendas of destabilising the party.
"If they are true members of the party, they would not rush to complain about the party in newspapers, but follow proper channels."
Source - Southern Eye
