Godern Moyo Wins MDC-T Bulawayo Chairmanship

GODERN MOYO has won the MDC T provincial chairmanship in a very tight contest marred by skirmishes of factions within the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai party.

The former secretary for information and publicity of Zapu 2000, academic and civic activist romped into victory against all odds in his new home as many members of the old guard in MDC T viewed him with suspicion, contempt and outright hatred – all because he was handpicked by PM Tsvangirai to a ministerial post, without a party card or belonging to a ward structure.

Moyo was made the State Enterprises and Parasttals minister – much to the shock and disapproval of many a party faithful.

The party's provincial organizing secretary Doubt Nyoni confirmed the development to Bulwayo24.com soon after the elections held at the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union offices in Bulawayo.

Said Nyoni: "I can confirm that minister Moyo is the new Bulawayo province chairman after getting against Matson Hlalo's 172 votes. Bulawayo Central House of Assembly member Dorcas Sibanda is the new deputy after ganerning 180 votes against the outgoing chairlady – Agnes Mloyi's 155 votes," he said.

However the election of Moyo to the party's top seat in Bulawayo did not come without incident as scores of disgruntled Matson Hlalo youths opened voiced their displeasure on the outcome and threatened to disrupt proceedings.

Theirs was a battle not to be won because the "Godern Moyo camp" had well mobilized youths from tertiary institutions and members of a local group –Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association to quell any dissenting voices.

Pandemonium was thus averted, though as the Matson Hlalo camp" group says "it's for now only."

Godern Moyo is the current minister of and was controversially handpicked by Morgan Tsvangirai from his civic group, Bulawayo Agenda in a bid to bolster the party's waning fortunes in Matabeleland.

Those that did not support the rise of Moyo argue that he is a mafikizolo (new comer) in the party and is too unfamiliar with the goings on of the movement whereas those that wanted him say he is an astute schemer and academic with a clear vision of what the people Matabeleland want.

Bulwayo24.com authoritatively in the know that Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khuphe has had two bitter encounters with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai over his interference in the Bulawayo provincial elections and electioneering.

In these incidents, we are told DPM Khupe walked out of the meetings after telling a livid Tsvangirai that "hlukana lento zakoBulwayuo, sizilungisele. (Leave Bulawayo things for us to sort them).

This was after Tsvangirai attempted to cause by duress the MDC T Bulawayo province structure to vote for Matson Hlalo. To this end Tvsangirai had gotten thumps up from Nkulumane MP – Thamsanqa Mahlangu.

The violent Mahlangu, who is the MDC T youth chairman and a former member of a terror gang √¢‚Ǩ‚Äú only known  Starforce as operated in Nkulumane in the early 90s, was quoted in the  NewsayDay threatening Godern Moyo and vowing that Moyo will never win the elections for as long as he is alive.

Mahlangu is said to be supporting the Hlalo camp because they are both Shonas who want to maintain Shona-supremacy in the party and have of late been complaining to Tsvangirai that "Ndebeles are taking over" the movement.

Tsvangirai now has to toe the line or the powerful Godern Moyo campo led by DPM Khupe will be faced to swing the Matabeleland vote against him in the event the party's Secretary General Tendai Biti joins the race for the presidency in the party's main congress scheduled for May this year.

To avert, a "Tsholotsho Declaration" in MDC T, Tsvangirai has undemocratically came out in the open and declared that his position is out of bound sin the congress. Party structures in Matabeleland are murmuring as they think the president of the party of excellence has lost his mind, sources said.