News / National
'Mangoma a traitor,' says senior MDC-T official
08 Feb 2014 at 10:24hrs | Views
MDC-T's national secretary for defence and security Mr Giles Mutsekwa has labelled the party's deputy treasurer-general, Mr Elton Mangoma, a fool and a traitor for being used to call for the ouster of party leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.
In an interview on the sidelines of an explosive party meeting held in Mutare on Tuesday, Mr Mutsekwa, alledged that Mangoma was being used by the party's secretary-general, Mr Tendai Biti, and Roy Bennett to unseat Mr Tsvangirai.
"I think he is a fool. He has never had the party at heart. You are aware that Mangoma before he came to MDC he was a member of ZIP (Zimbabwe Integrated Party) and he joined us mid-stream, so whatever he is doing, his behaviour, I think at most, he is a traitor," he said.
Mr Mutsekwa said Mr Mangoma was never representing Manicaland when he wrote the letter calling for Mr Tsvangirai to step down and pave way for new leadership.
He said Mr Mangoma's letter was a result of a long-standing back-biting strategy engineered by Mr Biti and his accomplices to grab power from Mr Tsvangirai.
Some members of the party's Manicaland executive who include Prosper Mutseyami, Pishai Muchauraya, Julius Magarangoma and Keresencia Chabuka have also been accused of taking sides with Mr Mangoma and Mr Biti in discrediting Mr Tsvangirai.
"We started the MDC long back and I told Tsvangirai that some of our colleagues are sellouts. We have chancers in our midst. At first Tsvangirai doubted it, but I am glad it has come out in the open. These people (Mangoma and Biti) are different from some of us because we are consistent. We are in the midst of a struggle and in that struggle we don't change commanders," said Mr Mutsekwa.
The party's national organising secretary for Women Assembly, Mrs Lynette Karenyi-Kore also attacked Messers Mangoma, Biti and their backers in the province for being power hungry and dividing the party.
"Everything has to come to an end. When these people started, we said it, but we were brushed aside. As the women's assembly we are very clear. We met last week soon after Mangoma wrote the letter and we resolved that Tsvangirai is our leader. If you are behind Prosper (Mutseyami) and if you are behind Pishai (Muchauraya) who is on Facebook you are lost. In 2005, these people created problems in the party when the MDC split. In that year, Bennett had to pay them to avoid the split when they had joined Welshman Ncube. When they initially left, we stayed behind supporting Tsvangirai so for me to hear Pishai saying I am 100 percent behind Mangoma it is not a surprise because he was never behind Morgan Tsvangirai.
Those who are not happy with Tsvangirai must move out and start their own thing," she said.
Mr Mutsekwa said Mutare mayor, Councillor Tatenda Nhamarare, was not expelled from the party and revealed that his election to that post was a well calculated move against Mr Biti's faction that had brought forward its own candidates.
"When we went to council elections with regard to mayoral elections we refused to back a candidate that was imposed on us from Biti's camp. We told our councillors to change course (voting for a Zanu-PF deputy mayor and teaming up with Zanu-PF to vote Clr Nhamarare as mayor). This is the only reason why we ended up with Nhamarare as mayor. Biti and company were agitated and that is why they wrote those suspension letters which have no effect," he said.
When contacted for comment Mr Mangoma said he had nothing to say.
"I have nothing to say. I cannot comment at the moment."
Mrs Chabuka rubbished Mr Mutsekwa's statements saying they were coming from a person who lost an election.
"Mutsekwa has nothing to say. He lost an election to Tsunga and he is just a bitter man. That was not a meeting and we can't waste our time talking to irrelevant people," she said.
The party's provincial spokesperson, Mr Muchauraya, said he does not have the mandate to comment issues deliberated by parallel structures.
"However, out of abundance of respect for journalists I will say a few things. First, we are not being used. In fact, the debate about leadership renewal was said by the national spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora that is was healthy and even Tsvangirai's spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka weighed in. So for these people to say we are being mischievous for talking about leadership renewal it is tantamount to saying Mwonzora and Tamborinyoka are likewise.
"It is neither here nor there for Mutsekwa to say Mangoma came from ZIP. What we know is that those in MDC came from somewhere. For example Mutsekwa came from the Rhodesian Front and no one is making noise about it. I think Mutsekwa is taking it too far. He is bitter for losing his seat to Tsunga," he said.
In an interview on the sidelines of an explosive party meeting held in Mutare on Tuesday, Mr Mutsekwa, alledged that Mangoma was being used by the party's secretary-general, Mr Tendai Biti, and Roy Bennett to unseat Mr Tsvangirai.
"I think he is a fool. He has never had the party at heart. You are aware that Mangoma before he came to MDC he was a member of ZIP (Zimbabwe Integrated Party) and he joined us mid-stream, so whatever he is doing, his behaviour, I think at most, he is a traitor," he said.
Mr Mutsekwa said Mr Mangoma was never representing Manicaland when he wrote the letter calling for Mr Tsvangirai to step down and pave way for new leadership.
He said Mr Mangoma's letter was a result of a long-standing back-biting strategy engineered by Mr Biti and his accomplices to grab power from Mr Tsvangirai.
Some members of the party's Manicaland executive who include Prosper Mutseyami, Pishai Muchauraya, Julius Magarangoma and Keresencia Chabuka have also been accused of taking sides with Mr Mangoma and Mr Biti in discrediting Mr Tsvangirai.
"We started the MDC long back and I told Tsvangirai that some of our colleagues are sellouts. We have chancers in our midst. At first Tsvangirai doubted it, but I am glad it has come out in the open. These people (Mangoma and Biti) are different from some of us because we are consistent. We are in the midst of a struggle and in that struggle we don't change commanders," said Mr Mutsekwa.
The party's national organising secretary for Women Assembly, Mrs Lynette Karenyi-Kore also attacked Messers Mangoma, Biti and their backers in the province for being power hungry and dividing the party.
"Everything has to come to an end. When these people started, we said it, but we were brushed aside. As the women's assembly we are very clear. We met last week soon after Mangoma wrote the letter and we resolved that Tsvangirai is our leader. If you are behind Prosper (Mutseyami) and if you are behind Pishai (Muchauraya) who is on Facebook you are lost. In 2005, these people created problems in the party when the MDC split. In that year, Bennett had to pay them to avoid the split when they had joined Welshman Ncube. When they initially left, we stayed behind supporting Tsvangirai so for me to hear Pishai saying I am 100 percent behind Mangoma it is not a surprise because he was never behind Morgan Tsvangirai.
Those who are not happy with Tsvangirai must move out and start their own thing," she said.
Mr Mutsekwa said Mutare mayor, Councillor Tatenda Nhamarare, was not expelled from the party and revealed that his election to that post was a well calculated move against Mr Biti's faction that had brought forward its own candidates.
"When we went to council elections with regard to mayoral elections we refused to back a candidate that was imposed on us from Biti's camp. We told our councillors to change course (voting for a Zanu-PF deputy mayor and teaming up with Zanu-PF to vote Clr Nhamarare as mayor). This is the only reason why we ended up with Nhamarare as mayor. Biti and company were agitated and that is why they wrote those suspension letters which have no effect," he said.
When contacted for comment Mr Mangoma said he had nothing to say.
"I have nothing to say. I cannot comment at the moment."
Mrs Chabuka rubbished Mr Mutsekwa's statements saying they were coming from a person who lost an election.
"Mutsekwa has nothing to say. He lost an election to Tsunga and he is just a bitter man. That was not a meeting and we can't waste our time talking to irrelevant people," she said.
The party's provincial spokesperson, Mr Muchauraya, said he does not have the mandate to comment issues deliberated by parallel structures.
"However, out of abundance of respect for journalists I will say a few things. First, we are not being used. In fact, the debate about leadership renewal was said by the national spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora that is was healthy and even Tsvangirai's spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka weighed in. So for these people to say we are being mischievous for talking about leadership renewal it is tantamount to saying Mwonzora and Tamborinyoka are likewise.
"It is neither here nor there for Mutsekwa to say Mangoma came from ZIP. What we know is that those in MDC came from somewhere. For example Mutsekwa came from the Rhodesian Front and no one is making noise about it. I think Mutsekwa is taking it too far. He is bitter for losing his seat to Tsunga," he said.
Source - manicapost
