Tsvangirai's MDC-Renewal offer 'sincere'

FORMER premier and MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai's spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, yesterday said his boss was sincere in opening the door for the renewal team faction to return to the fold.

Tamborinyoka said 50 members who had joined secretary- general Tendai Biti's faction had begged Tsvangirai to return to the "big tent" and he had offered an olive branch to them.

Tsvangirai told a press conference in Harare on Saturday that all renewal team members had until the end of August to return to the party.

The ultimatum was interpreted as a desperate manoeuvre to prop his waning political fortunes up by some quarters.

However, Tamborinyoka said MDC-T was democratic and Tsvangirai was being sincere in extending an olive branch to former party members to return to the "big tent".

"The real thing is what the president said. The real thing is that 50 people knocked at his door asking to be allowed to come back into the party.

"MDC-T with its magnanimity then extended the open door to all party members who would want to come back to do so before end of August," he said.

Tamborinyoka said Tsvangirai was still a big brand in the country's politics and a force to reckon with.

"His brand is undisputed. This is why you see people attacking him left, right and centre even if he means well," he said.

"He's being sincere in extending the open door to party supporters to come back. There is no harm and no malice in that.

"We did not see any drama when Job Sikhala, who had his own party, rejoined the party, when Mudzumwe (Jourbert), Mkhosi (Edward) and Tracy Mutinhiri, who was Zanu PF women's league political commissar, came on board.

"This is democracy which we practice. We are saying the door is open. So what's wrong with that?"

Former secretary-general Tendai Biti is leading the MDC- Renewal team that broke ranks with Tsvangirai accusing him of dictatorship and his much publicised personal love life, for the party's dismal showing in the 2013 elections.