News / National
Ian Kay chased away from MDC-T meeting
02 Oct 2013 at 19:37hrs | Views
Former MDC-T legislator Ian Kay was on Monday chased away from the party's district meeting as retribution for calling for leadership renewal within the Morgan Tsvangirai-led party.
Last month Kay, the MDC-T Marondera Central losing parliamentary candidate joined the party's exiled treasurer-general Roy Bennett in calling for leadership in the opposition party after Tsvangirai lost the July 31 harmonised elections to President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party.
"This is like a soccer team. If the coach continues losing, there is need for the technical board to sit down and deal with the issue," Kay reportedly local media. "There is need to plan ahead before the ship sinks and if there is need to change the coach, then let it be. Or should I say it is like a rusty bolt? There is need for it to be removed and replaced with a new one rather than leave it like that," he added without elaborating.
But on Monday, the Marondera MDC-T district recommended the expulsion of Kay from the party instead of waiting for the decision of the party's national leadership.
Angry party youths who include Richman Karonge, Peter Nyadendera, Charles Ngwenya and More Marata the party's youth chairman for ward 1 in Marondera's Dombotombo suburb chased Kay from the meeting.
"We confronted Mr Kay at the meeting which one of his allies, who is the party's Marondera district chair Chengetai Murowa had organised and defaulted. Marowa defaulted after realising that we were going to take them to task. We told Mr Kay that we are aware of the meetings he and a senior party official (name withheld) are holding in secret hotels on replacing President Tsvangirai. We also told him that we are aware that he is the one who caused the dismissals and suspensions of MDC-T members here in Marondera. He did all this to make the party lose and then give the blame to Tsvangirai. That is the reason why we wanted to beat him up," said one of the youths, who caused havoc at the meeting.
The meeting, which proceeded after the departure of Kay later resolved to call back suspended party members and those who lost the party's primary elections, including those who contested as independent candidates in the July elections in protest against the imposition of unpopular candidates.
Kay a senior official in the MDC-T followed the footsteps of Bennett by publicly saying that Tsvangirai should step down.
As former white former commercial farmers, Bennett and Kay have been part of a key constituency for the MDC-T party which is credited with helping finance the party since its formation in 1999.
When reached for comment, Kay referred Radio VOP to contact Marowa for details about the Monday meeting.
"Ask the chairman, one Murowa for official comment. The meeting went on well and it was not disturbed but for an official comment please call the chairman .This is coming from drunken people but for the whole story and comment call Mr Murowa. We agreed what we agreed at the meeting," Kay said before terminating the call.
Efforts to reach Murowa were fruitless as his mobile phone went answered for several times.
Last month Kay, the MDC-T Marondera Central losing parliamentary candidate joined the party's exiled treasurer-general Roy Bennett in calling for leadership in the opposition party after Tsvangirai lost the July 31 harmonised elections to President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party.
"This is like a soccer team. If the coach continues losing, there is need for the technical board to sit down and deal with the issue," Kay reportedly local media. "There is need to plan ahead before the ship sinks and if there is need to change the coach, then let it be. Or should I say it is like a rusty bolt? There is need for it to be removed and replaced with a new one rather than leave it like that," he added without elaborating.
But on Monday, the Marondera MDC-T district recommended the expulsion of Kay from the party instead of waiting for the decision of the party's national leadership.
Angry party youths who include Richman Karonge, Peter Nyadendera, Charles Ngwenya and More Marata the party's youth chairman for ward 1 in Marondera's Dombotombo suburb chased Kay from the meeting.
"We confronted Mr Kay at the meeting which one of his allies, who is the party's Marondera district chair Chengetai Murowa had organised and defaulted. Marowa defaulted after realising that we were going to take them to task. We told Mr Kay that we are aware of the meetings he and a senior party official (name withheld) are holding in secret hotels on replacing President Tsvangirai. We also told him that we are aware that he is the one who caused the dismissals and suspensions of MDC-T members here in Marondera. He did all this to make the party lose and then give the blame to Tsvangirai. That is the reason why we wanted to beat him up," said one of the youths, who caused havoc at the meeting.
The meeting, which proceeded after the departure of Kay later resolved to call back suspended party members and those who lost the party's primary elections, including those who contested as independent candidates in the July elections in protest against the imposition of unpopular candidates.
Kay a senior official in the MDC-T followed the footsteps of Bennett by publicly saying that Tsvangirai should step down.
As former white former commercial farmers, Bennett and Kay have been part of a key constituency for the MDC-T party which is credited with helping finance the party since its formation in 1999.
When reached for comment, Kay referred Radio VOP to contact Marowa for details about the Monday meeting.
"Ask the chairman, one Murowa for official comment. The meeting went on well and it was not disturbed but for an official comment please call the chairman .This is coming from drunken people but for the whole story and comment call Mr Murowa. We agreed what we agreed at the meeting," Kay said before terminating the call.
Efforts to reach Murowa were fruitless as his mobile phone went answered for several times.
Source - Radio VOP
