Mudzuri tells Tsvangirai to be tolerant

MDC -T national executive member and former Harare mayor Elias Mudzuri has called on party leader Morgan Tsvangirai to respect the party's constitution and tolerate diverse views.

The former Energy and Power Development minister told The Zimbabwe Mail Thursday that if the party was to stay intact there was need to sit down and ensure other people's opinions were tolerated.

"We need to carry out a forensic audit to identify the real problems in the party and find long- lasting solutions," said Mudzuri.

"Anyone in the party should be free to air his or her views and contribute to internal debates. We should learn to talk and to tolerate each other's views.

"In my opinion, the party's constitution was violated in the case of (deputy treasurer general Elton) Mangoma's suspension. We cannot talk about upholding national constitution when we are abusing our own party constitution which we formulated.

"It is my hope that the issue of disregarding the party's constitution will be discussed at our next national executive meeting," said Mudzuri.

Mudzuri, who is Warren Park House of Assembly member, in January sparked debate within MDC- T when he opined Tsvangirai should be the godfather of the party, step down ceremoniously and a new leader be elected to replace him.

Meanwhile, Mudzuri could not comment on Tsvangirai's assertions at a press conference in Harare on Tuesday that normalcy had returned to the party.

On Tuesday, Tsvangirai claimed his movement had resolved acrimonious leadership differences that threatened to split the party down the middle.

Tsvangirai has for the past two months been fighting cat-calls by hawks in his party to relinquish power after 15 years at the helm and three presidential electoral defeats to President Robert Mugabe.

Tsvangirai addressed a press conference in the capital flanked by secretary-general Tendai Biti, considered to be one of the hawks calling for the former premier to quit, to announce that there was "unprecedented unity in the cockpit".

"We unanimously agreed that our disagreements in the cockpit, while confirming our credentials as a democratic party, had needlessly diverted attention from the key issues affecting the people of Zimbabwe," said Tsvangirai.

"We owe it to our people to discuss and resolve our issues in order to be effective and ensure security of faith and hope to Zimbabweans. What is important is that there has to be stability in the cockpit and discipline in the ranks."

Infighting in the MDC-T began after a humiliating loss to Mugabe and Zanu PF in the July 2013 harmonised elections.

Mudzuri, Mangoma, Bulawayo South legislator Eddie Cross, exiled treasurer-general Roy Bennett and Marondera West MP Ian Kay have been linked to leadership renewal calls  in the party.