Sipepa Nkomo decries political patronage

Dumisani Sibanda
MDC-T legislator and national executive member Samuel Sipepa Nkomo Monday said he was not going to swear "allegiance" to MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai as did some of his colleagues at the party's rally in Bulawayo on Saturday, had he attended the meeting.

Nkomo also condemned party colleagues who took the opportunity to lambast MDC-T leaders perceived to be against Tsvangirai and said such behaviour was not in line with the values of MDC-T, but "more of a Zanu PF thing".

Nkomo - conspicuous by his absence at Saturday's MDC-T Stanley Square rally, alongside other prominent party members from Bulawayo who include Senator Matson Hlalo, the party's provincial secretary Reggie Moyo and the party provincial chairperson Gorden Moyo, reportedly on a sabbatical - said he could not attend as he had to go to church.

"I am a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and on Sabbath l go to church, and even the president, Tsvangirai, knows that when meetings are organised for Saturdays, I don't attend," he said. "Infact, I was the preacher on (that) Saturday."

Asked if he would also have made a public declaration of allegiance to Tsvangirai as did other legislators during the rally, Nkomo said : " I support the principles and values of MDC which include, among others, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, justice and transparency.

"I would not have said ‘my King is Tsvangirai' because my King is Jesus. Somebody should show me where it says in the MDC-T constitution that I must make an oath of allegiance to the president."

During the rally, a "mini-roll call" was made before the arrival of Tsvangirai where councillors and Members of Parliament chanted slogans affirming their support of the party's leader with Bulawayo South Member of Parliament Eddie Cross calling the former prime minister "my King".

The rally also afforded Tsvangirai loyalists the opportunity to denounce suspended deputy treasurer Elton Mangoma for advocating for "leadership renewal in the party", the secretary-general of the Youth Assembly, Promise Mkhwananzi perceived to be anti - Tsvangirai and the party's secretary-general Tendai Biti, who has voiced concern over the manner in which Mangoma was suspended for instigating leadership renewal calls.

They branded them as "sell-outs".

"In so far as I am concerned, I am not anti or for someone," said Nkomo. "I have to recognise the whole leadership that was elected at congress here in Bulawayo, including the president.

"I condemn those who were denouncing some of the party's leaders, including Mangoma, because he remains a leader, suspended as he is and we should wait for the verdict of the disciplinary committee. That is
not the way we do things in MDC-T.

"That is a Zanu PF way. Ukuthi phansi lobani, it's a Zanu PF slogan and not an MDC(call). Ukuthi ongafuniyo kayekele is a Bosso (Highlanders) slogan not an MDC (call) slogan. I am saying this as a veteran politician, with more than 50 years experience, dating back to the days of the National Democratic Party to Zapu."

He said the party should "follow the constitution and not depart from its values".

In a separate interview, Hlalo said he had "family commitments" he had to attend to outside Bulawayo and that
was why he was absent from the rally.

"Tsvangirai is the president," he said.

On his view on calls for leadership renewal in the party,Hlalo was non-commital saying : "I respect the people's decision and that has to be made through a process, and leaders
should respect people's wishes."