News / National
Tsvangirai is the only leader in MDC-T with a national stature
05 Sep 2011 at 04:50hrs | Views
THE US says MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti is ambitious and views himself as heir apparent in the fractious party led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, the latest edition of the Wikileaks has revealed.
Ms Katherine Dhanani, a former US deputy Chief of Mission at the Harare embassy, said although Mr Biti is ambitious, the Finance Minister was aware that Mr Tsvangirai is the only leader in MDC-T with a national stature.
"Biti is ambitious and undoubtedly sees himself as the heir apparent and he does differ with Tsvangirai on tactics," Ms Dhanani said, in a cable sent to Washington on July 30 2009.
She said Mr Biti and "others realise that Tsvangirai is the only MDC-T leader with genuine national stature and we see no challenge to his leadership or weakening of the party".
Ms Dhanani said MDC-T needed to be more focused and strategic.
"Biti, Chamisa and others are constructively and forcefully making this point," she added.
Added Ms Dhanani: "While Biti has been critical of Tsvangirai's working relationship with (President) Mugabe, he himself has realised that diplomacy is sometimes the better part of valour."
There are two camps in MDC-T with one believed to be aligned to Mr Tsvangirai and the other to Mr Biti.
The divisions were more evident during the run up to the MDC-T congress held in Bulawayo early this year.
This forced Mr Tsvangirai to threaten some party officials with expulsion from MDC-T following violent clashes between members of the camps as they jostled for positions. He also pledged to set a commission of inquiry to probe events leading to the congress but has not done so date.
Observers say Mr Tsvangirai is aware that such an investigations could further divide his party.
Mr Biti's exposure by the American comes as two senior MDC-T officials - Mr Nelson Chamisa and Mr Obert Gutu - are said to have told American Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Charles Ray that Tsvangirai's office was weak and indecisive.
Mr Chamisa is organising secretary in the MDC-T while Gutu is spokesperson for the party's Harare province.
According to Ambassador Ray, Mr Gutu took a swipe at Mr Tsvangirai during a meeting with the US envoy last year accusing him of flip-flopping when important decisions are supposed to be made.
On his part, Mr Chamisa allegedly told Ambassador Ray that there was a common perception in the MDC-T that the PM's office was weak and failed to play a co-ordinating role for Government ministries.
Ms Katherine Dhanani, a former US deputy Chief of Mission at the Harare embassy, said although Mr Biti is ambitious, the Finance Minister was aware that Mr Tsvangirai is the only leader in MDC-T with a national stature.
"Biti is ambitious and undoubtedly sees himself as the heir apparent and he does differ with Tsvangirai on tactics," Ms Dhanani said, in a cable sent to Washington on July 30 2009.
She said Mr Biti and "others realise that Tsvangirai is the only MDC-T leader with genuine national stature and we see no challenge to his leadership or weakening of the party".
Ms Dhanani said MDC-T needed to be more focused and strategic.
"Biti, Chamisa and others are constructively and forcefully making this point," she added.
Added Ms Dhanani: "While Biti has been critical of Tsvangirai's working relationship with (President) Mugabe, he himself has realised that diplomacy is sometimes the better part of valour."
The divisions were more evident during the run up to the MDC-T congress held in Bulawayo early this year.
This forced Mr Tsvangirai to threaten some party officials with expulsion from MDC-T following violent clashes between members of the camps as they jostled for positions. He also pledged to set a commission of inquiry to probe events leading to the congress but has not done so date.
Observers say Mr Tsvangirai is aware that such an investigations could further divide his party.
Mr Biti's exposure by the American comes as two senior MDC-T officials - Mr Nelson Chamisa and Mr Obert Gutu - are said to have told American Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Charles Ray that Tsvangirai's office was weak and indecisive.
Mr Chamisa is organising secretary in the MDC-T while Gutu is spokesperson for the party's Harare province.
According to Ambassador Ray, Mr Gutu took a swipe at Mr Tsvangirai during a meeting with the US envoy last year accusing him of flip-flopping when important decisions are supposed to be made.
On his part, Mr Chamisa allegedly told Ambassador Ray that there was a common perception in the MDC-T that the PM's office was weak and failed to play a co-ordinating role for Government ministries.
Source - Wikileaks
