Tsvangirai moves to gag supporters

The opposition MDC-T has read the riot act to party structures amid allegations that the rank-and-file was pursuing a "corrosive post-congress agenda" through a social media campaign.

In a move that critics sledged as an attempt to muzzle free expression in the opposition party, MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora has written to the party's Chitungwiza provincial executive threatening disciplinary action if the practice was not immediately stopped.

In the January 16 letter addressed to the provincial chairman Voice Chinake, Mwonzora accused the executive of using social media to propagate hate speech against the party leadership, fanning factionalism and disrespecting MDC rules and procedures in the process.

"The leadership is also aware that some people in your provincial leadership are trying to discredit the outcome of our 31st October congress for reasons best known to them," Mwonzora's letter says.

The secretary-general said: "Equally shocking is the realisation that the leadership orientation and induction programme organised by the president towards the end of last year which emphasised the need to unite our people, stabilise the party and focus on winning elections may have been a waste of resources.

"I need to state that the president was very serious in what he discussed with you at this orientation workshop.

"By copy of this letter, you are urgently advised to take the necessary steps and show leadership without which the party will be left with no option except to invoke the relevant disciplinary actions dealing with the same."

Mwonzora told the leadership that there would be no other congress in 2016 "as some of you are saying to the people" adding that the next party congress was due in 2019.

The developments come hard on the heels of a series of meetings that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai held with party structures last month in which he warned them against airing their grievances via social media.

This, Tsvangirai said, gave ammunition to their Zanu PF rivals to rubbish the party.

A provincial executive member expressed sadness that his party was fast descending into a dictatorship as members were no longer allowed free speech.

But MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu defended the social media gag, saying while his party believed in free speech, there was need for its cadres to be disciplined.

"The cyber space is so huge that it is like exploring the universe," Gutu said.

"We may not be able to follow everyone but the moment we realise that any of our members is abusing it to the detriment of the party, we will take action.

"We loathe all forms of dictatorship as a party but does not give our supporters room to act like loose cannons and misguided missiles."