News / National
Tsvangirai rigging throws Mwonzora a lifeline
16 Oct 2014 at 08:57hrs | Views
MOVEMENT for Democratic Change (MDC-T) spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora is back in the race for the secretary-general's post after he was nominated for the position by Manicaland Province, throwing the race for the influential position wide open.
Mwonzora had thrown in the towel after Nelson Chamisa - the party's organising secretary - had bagged victories in 11 of the MDC-T's 12 local provinces. But he sprung back into the race after securing a nomination from Manicaland Province at its congress held on Sunday, prompting the MDC-T spokesperson to rescind his withdrawal from the race.
"I was nominated by the Manicaland Province uncontested and I am back in the race," Mwonzora told the Financial Gazette. Yet, indications are that many party members are disgruntled at the manner in which the nominations in Manicaland and Bulawayo were handled. Bulawayo held its congress about a fortnight ago. Controversy marred the Bulawayo and Manicaland congresses, plunging the MDC-T into another crisis.
At the provincial congresses, party bigwigs vying for top leadership positions openly clashed and heaped slurs on leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, who has come under heavy criticism for his alleged meddling in the nomination processes. Party insiders fear an imminent break-up of the MDC-T as the embattled leader is accused of exhibiting favouritism in the last phases of the nomination process in which he performed secretarial duties by personally vetting members who would participate in the process.
Inside sources said Tsvangirai resorted to getting himself personally involved in the Bulawayo and Manicaland provincial congresses after realising that his proxies were losing to those aligned to Chamisa.
As a result, sources said, a frosty relationship has developed between Tsvangirai and Chamisa, ahead of the MDC-T's main congress to run from October 29 to November 1. Chamisa had gone ahead of Mwonzora, and acting secretary general, Tapiwa Mashakada, after he was nominated by 11 local provinces. Sources said in the week leading to the Manicaland congress, Tsvangirai's allies, who are uncomfortable with Chamisa landing the coveted position, pressured him to get himself directly involved in the nomination process to ensure that Mwonzora got a nomination.
"There is a lot of disgruntlement in the party, particularly with regards to the Bulawayo and Manicaland nominations and if the leadership of the party does not handle the case properly, things might even get worse when we thought we were putting the party in order. Chamisa has to be handled with great care. Many people in the party feel that if he loses to Mwonzora at congress, the party might split further apart. At the same time, Mwonzora is such an asset to the party that frustrating him could be disastrous," a top party member close to Tsvangirai said.
Another party member said many had the view that Chamisa could be the centre of yet another split, especially if he lands the powerful secretary-general position which has been the source of contentions as two former holders, Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti, have shown. The official said Tsvangirai had to intervene at all costs given that his preferred candidate, Mashakada, had fared dismally in the nomination process and he saw Mwonzora, as a better option than Chamisa.
"Mwonzora's loyalty is not questionable. He is one man who has gone out of his way to represent party members in many court cases and for that, he cannot be wished away," the official said.
Chamisa refused to comment.
"Talk to the spokesman about that. I was not involved in the process and I know nothing. The process was handled by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and not my department," he said.
ZCTU secretary general, Japhet Moyo, also declined to talk about the matter. "How do you expect ZCTU to comment on an activity of another organisation? ZCTU was not responsible for the accreditation of delegates to that congress so I do not have a comment because we are not responsible for what happened there," he said.
Senior party members also expressed fear that the crisis could put those who had volunteered to financially sponsor the congress off.
Meanwhile, political observers postulate that the MDC Renewal Team could be the biggest beneficiary of the latest disquiet in the MDC-T. The seven-month old MDC Renewal Team has gained 14 councillors who crossed over from the MDC-T in Bulawayo, which has 29 councillors. Political observers said the city fathers effectively had been split into distinct camps along the lines of MDC-T and MDC Renewal Team.
"There is a lot of disgruntlement in the party, particularly with regards to the Bulawayo and Manicaland nominations and if the leadership of the party does not handle the case properly, things might even get worse when we thought we were putting the party in order. Chamisa has to be handled with great care. Many people in the party feel that if he loses to Mwonzora at congress, the party might split further apart. At the same time, Mwonzora is such an asset to the party that frustrating him could be disastrous," a top party member close to Tsvangirai said.
Mwonzora had thrown in the towel after Nelson Chamisa - the party's organising secretary - had bagged victories in 11 of the MDC-T's 12 local provinces. But he sprung back into the race after securing a nomination from Manicaland Province at its congress held on Sunday, prompting the MDC-T spokesperson to rescind his withdrawal from the race.
"I was nominated by the Manicaland Province uncontested and I am back in the race," Mwonzora told the Financial Gazette. Yet, indications are that many party members are disgruntled at the manner in which the nominations in Manicaland and Bulawayo were handled. Bulawayo held its congress about a fortnight ago. Controversy marred the Bulawayo and Manicaland congresses, plunging the MDC-T into another crisis.
At the provincial congresses, party bigwigs vying for top leadership positions openly clashed and heaped slurs on leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, who has come under heavy criticism for his alleged meddling in the nomination processes. Party insiders fear an imminent break-up of the MDC-T as the embattled leader is accused of exhibiting favouritism in the last phases of the nomination process in which he performed secretarial duties by personally vetting members who would participate in the process.
Inside sources said Tsvangirai resorted to getting himself personally involved in the Bulawayo and Manicaland provincial congresses after realising that his proxies were losing to those aligned to Chamisa.
As a result, sources said, a frosty relationship has developed between Tsvangirai and Chamisa, ahead of the MDC-T's main congress to run from October 29 to November 1. Chamisa had gone ahead of Mwonzora, and acting secretary general, Tapiwa Mashakada, after he was nominated by 11 local provinces. Sources said in the week leading to the Manicaland congress, Tsvangirai's allies, who are uncomfortable with Chamisa landing the coveted position, pressured him to get himself directly involved in the nomination process to ensure that Mwonzora got a nomination.
"There is a lot of disgruntlement in the party, particularly with regards to the Bulawayo and Manicaland nominations and if the leadership of the party does not handle the case properly, things might even get worse when we thought we were putting the party in order. Chamisa has to be handled with great care. Many people in the party feel that if he loses to Mwonzora at congress, the party might split further apart. At the same time, Mwonzora is such an asset to the party that frustrating him could be disastrous," a top party member close to Tsvangirai said.
"Mwonzora's loyalty is not questionable. He is one man who has gone out of his way to represent party members in many court cases and for that, he cannot be wished away," the official said.
Chamisa refused to comment.
"Talk to the spokesman about that. I was not involved in the process and I know nothing. The process was handled by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and not my department," he said.
ZCTU secretary general, Japhet Moyo, also declined to talk about the matter. "How do you expect ZCTU to comment on an activity of another organisation? ZCTU was not responsible for the accreditation of delegates to that congress so I do not have a comment because we are not responsible for what happened there," he said.
Senior party members also expressed fear that the crisis could put those who had volunteered to financially sponsor the congress off.
Meanwhile, political observers postulate that the MDC Renewal Team could be the biggest beneficiary of the latest disquiet in the MDC-T. The seven-month old MDC Renewal Team has gained 14 councillors who crossed over from the MDC-T in Bulawayo, which has 29 councillors. Political observers said the city fathers effectively had been split into distinct camps along the lines of MDC-T and MDC Renewal Team.
"There is a lot of disgruntlement in the party, particularly with regards to the Bulawayo and Manicaland nominations and if the leadership of the party does not handle the case properly, things might even get worse when we thought we were putting the party in order. Chamisa has to be handled with great care. Many people in the party feel that if he loses to Mwonzora at congress, the party might split further apart. At the same time, Mwonzora is such an asset to the party that frustrating him could be disastrous," a top party member close to Tsvangirai said.
Source - fingaz
