Violence fears keep Khupe away from MDC-T meeting

MDC-T deputy president Thokozani Khupe and two senior party officials snubbed the party's national executive committee meeting in Harare last Friday fearing for their lives after they were bashed by youths loyal to party leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, in Bulawayo early this month.

In a letter addressed to Mr Tsvangirai and signed by Ms Khupe, MDC-T national chairman Mr Lovemore Moyo and national organising secretary Mr Abednicho Bhebhe, the trio reiterated that the youths who attacked them had been sent from the MDC-T leader's office.

This flies in the face of Mr Tsvangirai's actions, who after the attack on the trio, alleged involvement of the State security agents, claiming that his party was a non-violent organisation.

The Friday extra-ordinary meeting suspended Mr Bhebhe in absentia for making statements that "damaged" the MDC-T in the wake of the violence incident.

It also lifted the suspension of Bulawayo East legislator Ms Thabitha Khumalo who was initially accused of having a hand in the violence.

The youths disrupted a meeting chaired by Ms Khupe on August 6, a day after the launch of the MDC Alliance in Harare.

Ms Khupe, Mr Bhebhe and Mr Moyo did not attend the launch in what was viewed as an expression of disapproval of the alliance and breaking ranks with Mr Tsvangirai.

In the letter dated August 21 and referenced, "Concerns regarding the signed MDC Alliance political cooperation agreement and the national executive meeting scheduled for 25 August 2017," the three said the disruptive nature and disrespect shown by the youths in Bulawayo were enough to convince them not to attend the meeting.

"During that feedback, a group of about 25 youths who claimed to have been sent by you as the president of the party stormed the meeting and exhibited the highest level of contempt and disrespect for us," read the letter addressed to Mr Tsvangirai.

"The youths who claimed to have been sent by the president of the party to disrupt the meeting were so disrespectful to such an extent that they questioned the agenda of the meeting and further, they reiterated that they had been sent by you to disrupt the meeting and proceeded to manhandle us as well as some members."

The three top leaders said the youths went on to destroy party property and some members were left injured and as such their security was not guaranteed at the national executive meeting.

"Having said that, we are reliably informed that there shall be a national executive meeting on the 25th of August 2017. In light of the concerns we have raised above, as well as the subsequent violent attack on ourselves at the Bulawayo provincial offices, we are not in a position to attend the National Executive meeting for fear of our safety," read the letter.

"Indeed if we could be attacked in Bulawayo, our safety is not guaranteed in Harare."

Mr Tsvangirai's spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborinyoka was not available for comment yesterday.

MDC-T spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu yesterday said the party was investigating the cause of the violence that occurred in Bulawayo in a bid to get to the root of the matter.

He, however, declined to comment on the non-attendance of the three at Friday's meeting saying the trio was best placed to comment on the matter.

Analysts have said disagreements over the Alliance could precipitate another split of the MDC-T.