Tsvangirai stops costly MDC-T purge

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has ordered an end to an internal purge against party members perceived to be advocating for leadership renewal and ruled as illegal the vote-of-no-confidence recently passed on some provincial executive members.

Sources close to the former premier told NewsDay that he read the riot act on Tuesday, adding that the latest move was meant to restore sanity in the opposition party following a nearly three-month long internal strife.

"He said there was nothing like passing a vote-of-no-confidence like what was being done. What this means now is all efforts to suspend Harare and Chitungwiza leadership was null and void," said a highly-placed source.

"He told the provincial chairpersons that there was nothing like that and cancelled a meeting meant to pass a vote-of-no-confidence on Masvingo and Chitungwiza," said the source.

Contacted for comment, both party organising secretary Nelson Chamisa and spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora declined to comment, referring questions to Tsvangirai's spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka who, however, said he was not at liberty to discuss the issue.

The purge has already claimed the scalps of provincial leaders in Harare, Manicaland and Matebeleland North.