News / National
Tsvangirai blame the factional wars on provincial party leaders
17 May 2015 at 05:25hrs | Views
MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday came face-to-face with his own party thugs who unleashed violence that forced him to cancel a rally in Bulawayo.
The party also continued its attack on journalists, with party members barring reporters from The Sunday News and ZTV from covering two rallies that Mr Tsvangirai did manage to address in Pumula and White City Stadium.
MDC-T youths attacked Chronicle chief photographer Eliah Sauchoma for taking photos outside White City Stadium.
Mr Tsvangirai had to cancel a third rally in Luveve, with reports that youths had been camped at the venue since morning; drinking alcohol and preparing to stage a demonstration against the party's decision not to participate in the 10 June by-elections.
Ironically, Mr Tsvangirai was in the city to encourage the boycott.
At the Pumula rally, which was poorly-attended, youths aligned to the party's acting provincial chair Ms Dorcas Sibanda threatened a group backing embattled party deputy president, Ms Thokozani Khupe.
They scuffled for close to 30 minutes and ended when the "Khupe youths" left for White City to lay an "ambush" against the rival faction.
Impeccable party sources told our reporter Mr Tsvangirai almost cancelled the White City rally.
"He actually drove past the venue, only returning more than three hours later to make a 10-minute speech. He then decided to cancel the Luveve rally because a demonstration was planned there," said the source.
In excerpts of his address, caught from outside the Pumula rally venue, Mr Tsvangirai blamed the factional wars on provincial party leaders.
"It is your leaders who are causing all these problems but I must warn them that we will deal with anyone we discover is fanning any factionalism because it is not good for the party," he said.
Our reporters managed to board a kombi (registration number ABN 7150) which was ferrying youths aligned to Ms Sibanda. The minibus was loaded with all sorts of rocks, knobkerries and bottles and the youths denigrated Ms Khupe.
"We are here for business; we don't want people to think they can sell out while we watch, we will deal with them. Who does MaKhupe thinks she is? We only have one party president and this is the one that we will follow," one youth was heard saying.
Ms Helen Tshepiso Mpofu, the party's deputy provincial organising secretary, was heard instructing the youths to "deal" with their rivals.
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu told our Bulawayo Bureau: "The problem that we are having is that we now have a lot of infiltrators in our party who are not genuine party members. Their only aim is to cause alarm and despondency."
On violence against journalists, Mr Gutu claimed MDC-T believed in media diversity.
The party also continued its attack on journalists, with party members barring reporters from The Sunday News and ZTV from covering two rallies that Mr Tsvangirai did manage to address in Pumula and White City Stadium.
MDC-T youths attacked Chronicle chief photographer Eliah Sauchoma for taking photos outside White City Stadium.
Mr Tsvangirai had to cancel a third rally in Luveve, with reports that youths had been camped at the venue since morning; drinking alcohol and preparing to stage a demonstration against the party's decision not to participate in the 10 June by-elections.
Ironically, Mr Tsvangirai was in the city to encourage the boycott.
At the Pumula rally, which was poorly-attended, youths aligned to the party's acting provincial chair Ms Dorcas Sibanda threatened a group backing embattled party deputy president, Ms Thokozani Khupe.
They scuffled for close to 30 minutes and ended when the "Khupe youths" left for White City to lay an "ambush" against the rival faction.
Impeccable party sources told our reporter Mr Tsvangirai almost cancelled the White City rally.
"He actually drove past the venue, only returning more than three hours later to make a 10-minute speech. He then decided to cancel the Luveve rally because a demonstration was planned there," said the source.
In excerpts of his address, caught from outside the Pumula rally venue, Mr Tsvangirai blamed the factional wars on provincial party leaders.
"It is your leaders who are causing all these problems but I must warn them that we will deal with anyone we discover is fanning any factionalism because it is not good for the party," he said.
Our reporters managed to board a kombi (registration number ABN 7150) which was ferrying youths aligned to Ms Sibanda. The minibus was loaded with all sorts of rocks, knobkerries and bottles and the youths denigrated Ms Khupe.
"We are here for business; we don't want people to think they can sell out while we watch, we will deal with them. Who does MaKhupe thinks she is? We only have one party president and this is the one that we will follow," one youth was heard saying.
Ms Helen Tshepiso Mpofu, the party's deputy provincial organising secretary, was heard instructing the youths to "deal" with their rivals.
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu told our Bulawayo Bureau: "The problem that we are having is that we now have a lot of infiltrators in our party who are not genuine party members. Their only aim is to cause alarm and despondency."
On violence against journalists, Mr Gutu claimed MDC-T believed in media diversity.
Source - sundaymail
