Tsvangirai targets Masvingo ahead of congress

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday took his campaign ahead of the party's October congress to Masvingo where he met party structures in a closed door meeting allegedly aimed at consolidating his support.

Tsvangirai is likely to be challenged by former party organising secretary Elias Mudzuri for the leadership at the congress.

Although journalists were told that he was in Masvingo to explain the congress guidelines, sources said Tsvangirai also took the opportunity to whip into line those who did not follow former secretary-general Tendai Biti's renewal project.

"While he had come to explain the guidelines for congress, he also took the opportunity to rally his supporters ahead of congress.  Party members took turns to re-affirm their loyalty to him in the eye of the storm brewed by Biti and his supporters," a source who attended the meeting said.

He said party structures were stampeding to show their "undying" loyalty to Tsvangirai.

Newly-elected Masvingo provincial chairperson Bernard Chiondegwa, however, said there was nothing new from the meeting as Tsvangirai just tabled congress guidelines as he did in other provinces.

"He is here to present the congress template just like what he did in other provinces and it is an internal affair," Chiondegwa said.
Almost all the entire Masvingo leadership sided with Biti's group.