Mangoma holds parallel rallies

SUSPENDED MDC-T deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma has escalated his defiance campaign by addressing parallel grassroot rallies to drum up support for his push for leadership renewal.

Mangoma was suspended from the party last month. He is facing disciplinary action for putting the name of the party into disrepute, causing divisions in the party and undermining the authority of the party leadership.

He told NewsDay yesterday that he had already met MDC-T structures in Masvingo and Manicaland to garner support.

His suspension on charges of writing two damning letters calling on party leader Morgan Tsvangirai to step down, has shaken the opposition party's foundations with MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti fighting on his side.

The defiant MDC-T leader said his rallies were meant to explain to MDC-T members the problems bedeviling the former labour-backed party and alleged abuse of the constitution by Tsvangirai.

"There are people coming to talk to me and I am explaining to them the status of the party, my letters to Tsvangirai and what the best way forward is," Mangoma said.

"We spoke to people who gave us their views on the leader who is acting unconstitutionally and also we are discussing the best strategy to remove Zanu PF from power. The response is overwhelming and the people even felt that I left out a lot of things in my letters to Tsvangirai," he said.

So far the campaign trail has taken him to Gutu in Masvingo and yesterday he addressed a rally in his Makoni South constituency in Manicaland.

Tsvangirai has also embarked on a whirlwind tour of the country's provinces to mend fissures caused by Mangoma's outbursts and assure the grassroots that there was cohesion within the party's top leadership.

Last week, Tsvangirai who has repeatedly brushed aside calls for him to step down told journalists that warring party members had buried their differences and agreed to work as a unit.

However, his claims were rubbished by disgruntled party leaders, among them suspended MDC-T Manicaland provincial spokesperson Pishai Muchauraya, who accused Tsvangirai of "lying".

Mangoma yesterday vowed to continue his campaigns saying he was not bound by Tsvangirai's call for a truce.

He said he was only served with his letter of suspension last week, but had not yet been summoned to appear before an MDC-T disciplinary committee.

"I was in Gutu and today I will be in my constituency for people to know what has been said about me," Mangoma said.

Contacted for comment, MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said : "The position is that a person under suspension must not attend to party business, but if it's true it is quite unfortunate.

That does not stop our leader (Tsvangirai) from carrying out our lawful party programmes. Our leader is very serious on party unity and cohesion. Further, we know that there are people who want to try to stop due process from happening in the party, but due process will not stop as the independent tribunal is going to sit.

The aim is to achieve justice for everybody including Mangoma himself."

On Saturday, Tsvangirai addressed a rally in Zhombe, Midlands Province, where he repeated his calls for unity of purpose and cohesion in the MDC-T.

"We will not push anyone out of the party because this is a family. We want you here with us because we know it's very cold out there and we have closed that chapter of fighting," Tsvangirai said.

"It is time to re-energise the party from the base, meeting chairpersons and the loyal party members. This is what we are good at, not these hostile boardroom takeovers. Some want to talk about their degrees and learning. Let me say learning is not just books, but it is having wisdom to know that the party needs stability in the cockpit and discipline in the ranks with me as the captain," he said.

Speaking at the same event, MDC-T women's wing boss Theresa Makone, however, sang a different tune when she said party leaders who campaigned against Tsvangirai ought to be "thrown in hell".

"We don't want women who straddle the fence because we are clear that our leader is President Tsvangirai and I want to make it clear that those who straddle the fence, I will throw you in hell," she said.

"We are not going to have a split in the MDC because those who are making noise and want to leave are going to do so alone, nobody will follow them."