'Tsvangirai comes face-to-face with Mangoma, threatens split'

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's 15-year-old political project, the MDC-T,  is on the verge of another potentially devastating split after a tempestuous national executive council meeting on Friday failed to come up with a resolution regarding the emotive issue of an early congress.

According to 'The Zimbabwe Mail' Tsvangirai came face-to-face with his deputy treasurer-general and comrade in arms, Elton Mangoma, in the capital for the first time since the abortive strategic meeting a week ago at which the former Energy minister tabled a paper calling on the veteran trade unionist to step down.

Insiders privy to the goings on in the MDC-T told The Zimbabwe Mail Friday night that tempers had reached boiling point with some national executive council members demanding that disciplinary action be taken against Mangoma. Leading the charge, the sources said, was organising secretary Nelson Chamisa, a Tsvangirai loyalist.

"Mangoma's proposals were discussed and adopted but Tsvangirai then produced a list of what he said were resolutions, but these were never discussed in the meeting," one of the sources said.

"Tsvangirai said he was stripping Mangoma of his treasury duties and was assuming all fundraising and financial obligations on behalf of the party henceforth."

The source added: "Tsvangirai also declared he would split the party if Mangoma and his group continue with their congress crusade. The national council is now expected to discuss the issue of an early congress at its February meeting."

Party spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora at first claimed there had not been any discussion of Mangoma's proposals, but later admitted the party's top brass had indeed deliberated on the matter.

Impeccable sources told The Zimbabwe Mail that a group aligned to Chamisa had called for Mangoma's censure.

"Chamisa and a coterie of his hangers on, who included Sessel Zvidzai, Morgan Femai and Chalton Hwende demanded that Mangoma be disciplined for allegedly bringing the party into disrepute," another source said.

"However, Mangoma shot back, accusing the quartet of being insincere because they were the ones who had leaked the contentious paper to the media."

Pressed on the details of the executive discussions, Mwonzora said: "There were discussions and these centred on two issues, first the substance of Mangoma's paper which was dismissed because most of the issues were dealt with by the national council in December and a resolution made that we will have our congress in 2016 as required by the party constitution."

Mwonzora claimed Mangoma's paper represented an individual opinion "that should be treated as nothing more than that".

"We do not punish someone because of an opinion, so nothing is going to happen to Mangoma," said Mwonzora, denying Tsvangirai had usurped Mangoma's treasury powers.

"The executive resolved that the presidency should receive regular updates on the party's finances and resources coming in. This is perfectly normal because Tsvangirai has the prerogative of providing the general membership with a state of the party report now and then. We were not happy with the frequency of the reports the leadership was getting."

The Zimbabwe Mail is reliably told that Tsvangirai is a signatory to the party finances and is aware of the state of the MDC-T's finances.

"There is not going to be any split, Tsvangirai does not want a split," Mwonzora said.

The original united MDC split into two factions in October 2005 following disagreements over participation in senatorial elections.

Asked on what will happen next, Mwonzora said: "It will be within its purview for the National Council to reconsider its position when it meets in future, but for now its original position is binding to all members."

Mangoma last night declined to comment, referring questions to Mwonzora.

The MDC-T was thrown into turmoil last week after Mangoma wrote a damning letter to Tsvangirai demanding that the former prime minister resigns because his escapades with multiple women and continued electoral loses have hamstrung the movement.

Tsvangirai was also reportedly offered a $3 million golden handshake to leave the party he has led since formation in 1999. He rejected the offer.