Tsvangirai rush to Bulawayo to wade off a planned Matabeleland walk out

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai had to rush to Bulawayo in a bid to contain the situation which is threatening to spiral out of hand with less than a week before the formation's Congress.

Amid tight jostling for positions, which has left the Morgan Tsvangirai led movement deeply divided with intra party violence and factionalism threatening to split the formation, observers say the dispatching of MDC-T leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai to try and control the volatile situation indicates that intra party violence and factionalism has reached alarming levels.

Mr Tsvangirai is also trying to wade off a planned Matabeleland walk out at the Congress in Bulawayo.

Sources in Matabeleland within MDC-T are believed to be up in arms with their Northern counterparts in the party after 6 of the 7 candidates in the region were nominated as deputies. Thokozani Khupe, Norman Mabhena, Bekithemba Mpofu, Sam Sipepa Nkomo, Abednico Bhebhe and Thamsanqa Mahlangu are all set to deputise their Northern counterparts reinforcing the Ncube's MDC argument that Tsvangirai's MDC is bent on a Shona supremacy agenda. Only Lovemore Moyo was nominated in a substantive position as chairman of the party and is set to face a stiff challenge from Matibenga who is supported by the Northern Provinces. Reliable sources have indicated that Matabeleland provinces are set to walk out from the congress if Lovemore Moyo is not elected Chairman.

Besides the Matabeleland walk out threat, the party's National Spokesperson, Mr Nelson Chamisa told a media briefing this Saturday that  the MDC-T is investigating incidents of violence in Bulawayo and Mashonaland West.

Mr Tsvangirai himself warned last weekend that vote-buying and violence are threatening the existence of the party.

The MDC-T's list of nominations released this Saturday showed that many heavyweights, save for Tsvangirai, risk returning from the congress as ordinary card-carrying members.

Also slated to draw controversy is the rivalry between Mr Elias Mudzuri and Mr Nelson Chamisa, who are both vying for the National Organising Secretary post.  

Mudzuri has been taking the fight deeper into Chamisa's territory amidst accusations that the party's national spokesperson is the media to prevail over his competitor.

Final nominations will be announced on Tuesday in Bulawayo after polls were abandoned for the second time when rival factions exchanged blows.

The Congress gets underway next Friday amid a dark cloud hanging over the country's second largest city after recent admissions by the MDC-T that the party cannot guarantee a non-violent event.