No guarantee for a violence free congress: Mudzuri

THE MDC-T party, which has been dogged by intra-party violence for the last few weeks, reveled that it cannot guarantee a violence free National Congress in Bulawayo next week.
Provincial elections of the MDC-T in Matabeleland last week were marred by intra-party violence with beer bottles, stones, baseball bats, iron bars and fists used by that party's supporters to pound each other. Losing candidate, Mr Matson Hlalo, yesterday refused to accept defeat in Saturday's intra-party poll, citing violence and rigging.
MDC-T organising secretary, Mr Elias Mudzuri told journalists on Wednesday: "I cannot guarantee peace during the congress ...  Even God has never guaranteed peace but given some guidelines of living with each other. 
"We will, however, not brook any violence.  "We anticipate a violence free congress . . . We hope we will not have external interference."  The party's youths last week shocked many when they set upon mourners at Warren Hills Cemetery during the unveiling of tombstones for MDC-T activists and damaged police and private vehicles. They also fought in the streets of Bulawayo, Mutare and Gweru during provincial elections. Initially the MDC-T congress had been set for April 29 to May 1 but has since been changed to April 28-30 to enable its supporters to celebrate Workers Day. Mr Mudzuri said Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga, who is also Kenya's premier, had confirmed attending the congress as guest of honour.
"The congress will be officially opened by Mr Raila Odinga ... he will be jetting into the country soon," he said. Mr Mudzuri said there were violent clashes during provincial congresses, adding his party would deal with the culprits. "We do not want violence in the party. We have taken the names of people who have been behind this violence, and disciplinary action is going to be taken against them," he said. "We want to come up with a congress resolution that will condemn violence. We are having a meeting of the executive to discuss violence in the party."  MDC-T has conducted elections in eight of the 12 provinces that were marred by violence. The remaining ones will be concluded before the Bulawayo congress. Three MDC-T youths in Bulawayo on Tuesday appeared in court for allegedly assaulting the party's provincial director of elections on Saturday. Scores of MDC-T supporters were reportedly injured at the party's provincial election congress held at the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions offices in Bulawayo on Saturday. Ntonga Mhlanga (21), Lloyd Chamboko (27) and Witness Dube (34) were arrested on Saturday after skirmishes involving two rival factions within the party. Dube is the party's aspiring candidate for the post of provincial youth chairperson.
The clashes allegedly involved party supporters loyal to Mr Gorden Moyo and those in support of Mr Matson Hlalo, the Mzilikazi Senator who lost the Bulawayo Province chairmanship to Mr Moyo. Mhlanga, Chamboko, Dube and another party youth, who is still at large, allegedly assaulted Mr Clint Chigumbu with an iron bar on the head and he fell down and lost consciousness. The three were not formally charged when they appeared before Bulawayo magistrate, Mr Ndumo Masuku, facing a charge of contravening Section 89 (1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23 (assault).
They were released on US$50 bail. The three will next appear in court on May 30.