Khupe boycotts Tsvangirai's rally

Divisions within the MDC-T camp continue to deepen with the party's Vice President Thokozani Khupe boycotting the embattled Tsvangirai's 'No Reforms, No Elections' Masvingo rally.

Instead, Khupe and members of her faction, sources said, attended a funeral wake and burial of a relative to a senior member from Bulawayo.

Khupe's boycott come amid deepening discord in the party's "stronghold" with Bulawayo provincial structures aligned to Khupe insisting that Nomvula Mguni is still the acting chairperson.

The province is defying a resolution of the party's national council this week that lifted the suspension of Bulawayo Central legislator Dorcas Sibanda and reinstated her as acting provincial chairperson.

Khupe's boycott of Tsvangirai's rally comes after threats by some MDC-T members to humiliate her for advocating for the party to take part in the June 10 by-elections, particularly in Bulawayo province where there are five vacant seats.

The MDC-T swept all parliamentary seats in the province in July 2013, but following the expulsion of 21 rebel MPs who wanted Tsvangirai gone, including five from Bulawayo, the party appears set to allow Zanu-PF an unlikely foothold after deciding on a boycott.

While shying away from the by-elections demanding "electoral reforms", the MDC-T has moved to fill seven vacant seats which it won in 2013 under the proportional representation system.

Khupe broke down and cried during a meeting of the MDC-T national council two weeks ago after a barrage of insults from party activists in Harare who accused her of advocating for the party to contest in the by elections against party policy.

Khupe was not reachable for comment yesterday.