Mangoma to be expelled from MDC-T?

THERE were fireworks at the MDC-T meeting of district chairpersons last Saturday, with fresh details emerging that deputy treasurer-general, Elton Mangoma was dressed down by most of the participants.
Sources said the meeting resolved that Mangoma should be expelled after some district chairpersons revealed that the deputy treasurer-general had allegedly held "clandestine" meetings with some provincial executives.
Most district chairpersons who spoke to The Standard said speaker after speaker blasted Mangoma for calling on MDC-T president, Morgan Tsvangirai to resign. Mangoma was present at the heated meeting which lasted for over six hours.
They said Mangoma was urged to quit the MDC-T after he was accused of trying to topple Tsvangirai with the assistance of a few foreign embassies and some provincial executives, particularly Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland South.
Some of the district chairpersons alleged that money was changing hands, especially at provinces where pressure was coming for Tsvangirai to quit.
One district chairperson from Chivi was said to have accused Mangoma of having held a clandestine meeting in Masvingo with three members of the provincial executive, a few days after Tsvangirai met the district chairpersons.
Another district chairperson from Masvingo also accused Mangoma and treasurer-general, Roy Bennett of lobbying foreign embassies in Zimbabwe to cut support to the MDC-T in order to force Tsvangirai out.
"Until Tsvangirai gets into power, he must remain as our leader," a district chairperson from Mashonaland West was quoted as having said.
A district chairperson from Midlands also accused Mangoma of having held a clandestine meeting with some members of the provincial executive.
Another district chairperson from Matabeleland South also alleged that yet another meeting was held on February 8 with some provincial executive members in the area.
The district chairperson is said to have pledged that the grassroots would fund the party, in the event that donors deserted the MDC-T.
One district chairperson said councillors recently fired for defying a party directive on the election of mayors should also be reinstated.
Sources said Mangoma was not given a chance to respond to the allegations as the angry district chairpersons said they no longer wanted anything to do with him.
Mangoma yesterday said the meeting had no power to resolve anything as it had no legal standing in the party's structures.
On allegations of holding clandestine provincial meetings, Mangoma said it was impossible to do that without other officials noticing.
Tsvangirai's meeting with district chairpersons ended in chaos after Mangoma and secretary-general, Tendai Biti were assaulted by a group of party youths who accused them of leadership renewal in the party.
Biti, Mangoma, youth assembly secretary-general, Promise Mkwananzi and others were attacked when they stepped outside Harvest House soon after party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai had finished holding a one-day meeting with the 210 MDC-T district chairpersons.