'Gorden Moyo's resignation a non-event,' says Mwonzora

MDC-T spokesman Douglas Mwonzora yesterday described the recent resignation of the party's Bulawayo provincial chairman Gorden Moyo as a non-event, saying the former Parastatals minister was a Johnny-come-lately who had failed to exhibit good leadership qualities.

Mwonzora's remarks came barely 72 hours after Moyo resigned from his post, citing factionalism and violence.

"The chairperson who felt he could not carry on is a newcomer, relatively speaking, in the province and anyway the party was kicking without him," Mwonzora said.

He added: "It's tragic that Moyo purported to speak for the country and then accused MDC of violence yet as demonstrated in the courts last week the party is wrongfully accused of violence."

Last week, nine MDC-T activists were acquitted of assaulting expelled deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma.

Yesterday, Moyo could not be reached for comment on his mobile phone.

It is widely believed MDC-T vice-president Thokozani Khupe influenced Moyo's election in 2011. Since then, the party has had two factions in Bulawayo - one aligned to Moyo and the other to former chairman Matson Hlalo.

Meanwhile, Moyo yesterday rejected calls by MDC-T to resign as Makokoba MP arguing doing so would give Zanu PF a chance to regain control of the city.

Moyo said MDC-T had been weakened by infighting and could not risk a by-election against Zanu PF in its current state.

This follows reports that some party cadres were angling to take over his parliamentary seat and party post.

"I could have resigned as MP on Friday, but I did not do that because I wanted to protect the party and the people of Makokoba," he said.

 "If I had resigned, I would have opened up space for Zanu PF in Bulawayo and I could not countenance that. I can't be the entry point for Zanu PF in Bulawayo. Zanu PF would win the by-election if I resign, MDC-T is losing everywhere."

MDC-T has lost by-elections for municipal wards in Gweru, Harare and Chinhoyi among other areas since last year's elections where the party suffered a stunning defeat to Zanu PF.

The party regards Bulawayo as its stronghold after sweeping all parliamentary seats and council wards in the last elections.

Moyo said besides, those calling for his ouster had no capacity to push him out.

"There is no one who can force me out," he said. "It's not only the structures that voted for me. I received close to 8 000 votes from Makokoba and yet our structures do not have more than 200 people."

Moyo said he would now spend most of his time in Makokoba "specialing in politics of development, not power".