News / National
Biti, Mutsekwa in a near fist fight - claims
30 Jun 2013 at 08:36hrs | Views
The government controlled Sunday Mail alleges that MDC-T secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti and the party's national secretary for defence, Mr Giles Mutsekwa, nearly exchanged blows at Harvest House in Harare last Friday.
It is not clear whether there is any figment of truth in the allegations, but the Sunday Mail says this occurred after Mr Biti refused to sign Mr Mutsekwa's nomination papers, saying the MDC-T leadership did not want him to represent the party in the forthcoming harmonised elections.
Reliable MDC-T insiders revealed that Mr Biti told Mr Mutsekwa that he was "excess baggage", adding that he was free to join Zanu-PF.
The insiders said party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai had to intervene by instructing deputy national chairman Mr Morgan Komichi to sign the papers.
Mr Mutsekwa, who was infuriated by the episode, then rushed to his Chikanga-Dangamvura National Assembly constituency to beat the Nomination Court deadline.
Mr Mutsekwa refused to comment when contacted yesterday while Mr Biti could not be reached.
"Biti told him (Mr Mutsekwa) that he was not going to sign, saying 'nekuti hatina basa newe. Kana uchida enda kuZanu-PF (We do not care about you. If you so wish, you can join Zanu-PF)," said a source.
MDC-T national organising secretary Mr Nelson Chamisa confirmed the incident but tried to downplay it.
"Yes, we have problems with our candidates in Chikanga-Dangamvura, but we have ordered them to submit their nomination papers. We will democratically solve the impasse in the next four to five weeks," he said.
Mr Mutsekwa and lawyer Mr Arnold Tsunga are both vying for Chikanga-Dangamvura under the MDC-T banner. It is believed Mr Mutsekwa is a Tsvangirai loyalist while his opponent belongs to the Biti camp.
Sources said the failure by the party's leadership to resolve the impasse saw Mr Mutsekwa and Mr Tsunga both filing nomination papers for the same constituency. The sources said the MDC-T was still tackling candidate selection concerns in other areas after some high-ranking officials also tried to scuttle the nomination process.
It is not clear whether there is any figment of truth in the allegations, but the Sunday Mail says this occurred after Mr Biti refused to sign Mr Mutsekwa's nomination papers, saying the MDC-T leadership did not want him to represent the party in the forthcoming harmonised elections.
Reliable MDC-T insiders revealed that Mr Biti told Mr Mutsekwa that he was "excess baggage", adding that he was free to join Zanu-PF.
The insiders said party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai had to intervene by instructing deputy national chairman Mr Morgan Komichi to sign the papers.
Mr Mutsekwa, who was infuriated by the episode, then rushed to his Chikanga-Dangamvura National Assembly constituency to beat the Nomination Court deadline.
"Biti told him (Mr Mutsekwa) that he was not going to sign, saying 'nekuti hatina basa newe. Kana uchida enda kuZanu-PF (We do not care about you. If you so wish, you can join Zanu-PF)," said a source.
MDC-T national organising secretary Mr Nelson Chamisa confirmed the incident but tried to downplay it.
"Yes, we have problems with our candidates in Chikanga-Dangamvura, but we have ordered them to submit their nomination papers. We will democratically solve the impasse in the next four to five weeks," he said.
Mr Mutsekwa and lawyer Mr Arnold Tsunga are both vying for Chikanga-Dangamvura under the MDC-T banner. It is believed Mr Mutsekwa is a Tsvangirai loyalist while his opponent belongs to the Biti camp.
Sources said the failure by the party's leadership to resolve the impasse saw Mr Mutsekwa and Mr Tsunga both filing nomination papers for the same constituency. The sources said the MDC-T was still tackling candidate selection concerns in other areas after some high-ranking officials also tried to scuttle the nomination process.
Source - sunday mail
