News / National
Dr Tsvangirai, Dr Nkomo clash
30 Aug 2013 at 23:11hrs | Views
THE controversy surrounding the choice of Bulawayo Mayor turned nasty on Thursday when MDC-T president Mr Morgan Tsvangirai dressed down Dr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo for questioning his choice for the city's top post.
Dr Nkomo courted the ire of Mr Tsvangirai when he reportedly said he was not satisfied with National University of Science and Technology lecturer, Dr Mandla Nyathi, who had been handpicked by Mr Tsvangirai for the post.
Party members yesterday described the incident as a "shocking display of lack of tolerance for difference of opinion and disrespect for an elderly person on Mr Tsvangirai's part."
Party officials who attended the meeting convened to appoint the mayoral candidate for Bulawayo at the MDC-T provincial headquarters said Mr Tsvangirai was influenced by a member of the provincial executive to choose Dr Nyathi, an academic who all along was based in the United Kingdom.
"Tsvangirai first disqualified people who had contested in the harmonised elections and lost from contesting the mayoral post. Then he had interviews with Earnest Rafamoyo (re-elected Ward 20 Councillor), Kucaca Phulu (a city lawyer) and Dr Nyathi for the top post. When he announced that Dr Nyathi had won, there was stunned silence," said the official.
The official said Dr Nkomo broke the silence by raising his hand and saying he was disappointed with the decision.
The official said party members, who included the winning candidates in the harmonised elections and some members of the provincial council reacted to Dr Nkomo's interjection with applause.
"Apparently angered by the overwhelming support for Sipepa's comments, Tsvangirai exploded. We saw a side of him that we never imagined existed. He told Sipepa in a no-nonsense-manner that he did not expect such insolence from a member of the national executive and the provincial council. He said he did not expect such behaviour from a grown up person like Sipepa," said the official.
Another official said he now has a different opinion of Mr Tsvangirai as a leader following his unwarranted outburst.
"He should go back to Sipepa and apologise, otherwise the ancestors will punish him for publicly disrespecting such an old man.
"Anyone who still thinks Tsvangirai can take us to Canaan does not belong to this planet. He publicly embarrassed Sipepa by shouting at him in front of children, some who are 17 years old. It seems Mr Tsvangirai is intolerant to dissenting voices. Sipepa is a member of the advisory committee and I think he was simply doing his job," said the official.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Dr Sipepa Nkomo said he was not aware of the issue.
"I do not know what you are talking about," said Dr Nkomo.
MDC-T provincial spokesperson Mr Mandla Sibanda also denied that the fallout.
"All we know is that we went through a democratic process that at the end of the day, produced Dr Nyathi as the mayoral choice for Bulawayo," said Mr Sibanda.
However, a number of councilors-elect insisted the bust up occurred.
"We are all not happy and we are considering not voting for Dr Nyathi when we meet as councillors to officially elect the mayor," said a councillor-elect.
Commenting on the issue, former MDC-T councillor for Ward 14 who contested the election as an independent candidate and lost, Mr Phinias Z Ndlovu said Dr Nkomo was being a hypocrite by complaining.
"I was surprised when I heard the story from fellow colleagues in the party. In 2008, Sipepa was sent by the same person who influenced Mr Tsvangirai to impose mayors and council chairpersons. Now that it is being done by someone else, he is finding it painful. We had our own choices and DrSipepa told us who to select. Personally, I think Phulu or former Deputy Mayor Amen Mpofu would have been better choices," said Mr Ndlovu.
Mr Tsvangirai has nominated Obert Gutu to contest the Harare Mayor's post and Thomas Muzuva to contest that of deputy mayor.
In Chitungwiza, he has nominated Mr Isaac Manyemba in what has been viewed by many within and outside the party as imposition of candidates.
MDC-T youths have reportedly written a petition questioning the party's internal democratic systems and processes, including the imposition of mayoral candidates.
Senior officials in the party have been quoted in the Press alleging there was tension after Mr Tsvangirai began to directly appoint mayors, their deputies and chairpersons of committees in various cities and towns won by the MDC-T.
Dr Nkomo courted the ire of Mr Tsvangirai when he reportedly said he was not satisfied with National University of Science and Technology lecturer, Dr Mandla Nyathi, who had been handpicked by Mr Tsvangirai for the post.
Party members yesterday described the incident as a "shocking display of lack of tolerance for difference of opinion and disrespect for an elderly person on Mr Tsvangirai's part."
Party officials who attended the meeting convened to appoint the mayoral candidate for Bulawayo at the MDC-T provincial headquarters said Mr Tsvangirai was influenced by a member of the provincial executive to choose Dr Nyathi, an academic who all along was based in the United Kingdom.
"Tsvangirai first disqualified people who had contested in the harmonised elections and lost from contesting the mayoral post. Then he had interviews with Earnest Rafamoyo (re-elected Ward 20 Councillor), Kucaca Phulu (a city lawyer) and Dr Nyathi for the top post. When he announced that Dr Nyathi had won, there was stunned silence," said the official.
The official said Dr Nkomo broke the silence by raising his hand and saying he was disappointed with the decision.
The official said party members, who included the winning candidates in the harmonised elections and some members of the provincial council reacted to Dr Nkomo's interjection with applause.
"Apparently angered by the overwhelming support for Sipepa's comments, Tsvangirai exploded. We saw a side of him that we never imagined existed. He told Sipepa in a no-nonsense-manner that he did not expect such insolence from a member of the national executive and the provincial council. He said he did not expect such behaviour from a grown up person like Sipepa," said the official.
Another official said he now has a different opinion of Mr Tsvangirai as a leader following his unwarranted outburst.
"He should go back to Sipepa and apologise, otherwise the ancestors will punish him for publicly disrespecting such an old man.
"Anyone who still thinks Tsvangirai can take us to Canaan does not belong to this planet. He publicly embarrassed Sipepa by shouting at him in front of children, some who are 17 years old. It seems Mr Tsvangirai is intolerant to dissenting voices. Sipepa is a member of the advisory committee and I think he was simply doing his job," said the official.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Dr Sipepa Nkomo said he was not aware of the issue.
"I do not know what you are talking about," said Dr Nkomo.
MDC-T provincial spokesperson Mr Mandla Sibanda also denied that the fallout.
"All we know is that we went through a democratic process that at the end of the day, produced Dr Nyathi as the mayoral choice for Bulawayo," said Mr Sibanda.
However, a number of councilors-elect insisted the bust up occurred.
"We are all not happy and we are considering not voting for Dr Nyathi when we meet as councillors to officially elect the mayor," said a councillor-elect.
Commenting on the issue, former MDC-T councillor for Ward 14 who contested the election as an independent candidate and lost, Mr Phinias Z Ndlovu said Dr Nkomo was being a hypocrite by complaining.
"I was surprised when I heard the story from fellow colleagues in the party. In 2008, Sipepa was sent by the same person who influenced Mr Tsvangirai to impose mayors and council chairpersons. Now that it is being done by someone else, he is finding it painful. We had our own choices and DrSipepa told us who to select. Personally, I think Phulu or former Deputy Mayor Amen Mpofu would have been better choices," said Mr Ndlovu.
Mr Tsvangirai has nominated Obert Gutu to contest the Harare Mayor's post and Thomas Muzuva to contest that of deputy mayor.
In Chitungwiza, he has nominated Mr Isaac Manyemba in what has been viewed by many within and outside the party as imposition of candidates.
MDC-T youths have reportedly written a petition questioning the party's internal democratic systems and processes, including the imposition of mayoral candidates.
Senior officials in the party have been quoted in the Press alleging there was tension after Mr Tsvangirai began to directly appoint mayors, their deputies and chairpersons of committees in various cities and towns won by the MDC-T.
Source - Chronicle
