News / National
Tsvangirai clips MDC-T veterans' wings
08 Nov 2015 at 03:57hrs | Views
THE MDC-T has reportedly moved with speed to combat another explosive scenario emanating from the status of the MDC Veterans Activists Association (MDC VAA).
According to insiders, under-fire leaders and those formerly holding senior positions but have lost them, have now found a new home in the influential MDC VAA.
A series of high-level meetings have been held to devise ways to deal with the new organisation with the most recent one, November 4, being the dismissal of an application by MDC VAA to be registered as an affiliate organisation of the party.
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu however told The Standard in an interview that the matter was handled amicably.
"The MDC national council held a meeting at our party headquarters on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 and the VAA application for affiliate status was considered. After a very lively and fruitful debate, the national council rejected the application by VAA," Gutu said.
"There's absolutely no tussling and misunderstanding over the status of VAA. VAA will remain a civic organisation which any member of the MDC is free to join if they feel like joining; but it will certainly not be an affiliate organisation of the party."
However, critics of VAA believe the group sought to create parallel structures to the mainstream party as a way to create a power base from where they would propel themselves to positions of leadership in the party.
Former Economic Planning minister Tapiwa Mashakada who is the treasurer of MDC VAA said they welcomed the idea of making VAA an independent organisation so that it could effectively carry out its mandate.
Although there are reports of pockets of resistance, some MDC-T members said VAA could work to counter many Zanu PF-linked organisations such as war veterans and war collaborators associations.
According to insiders, under-fire leaders and those formerly holding senior positions but have lost them, have now found a new home in the influential MDC VAA.
A series of high-level meetings have been held to devise ways to deal with the new organisation with the most recent one, November 4, being the dismissal of an application by MDC VAA to be registered as an affiliate organisation of the party.
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu however told The Standard in an interview that the matter was handled amicably.
"There's absolutely no tussling and misunderstanding over the status of VAA. VAA will remain a civic organisation which any member of the MDC is free to join if they feel like joining; but it will certainly not be an affiliate organisation of the party."
However, critics of VAA believe the group sought to create parallel structures to the mainstream party as a way to create a power base from where they would propel themselves to positions of leadership in the party.
Former Economic Planning minister Tapiwa Mashakada who is the treasurer of MDC VAA said they welcomed the idea of making VAA an independent organisation so that it could effectively carry out its mandate.
Although there are reports of pockets of resistance, some MDC-T members said VAA could work to counter many Zanu PF-linked organisations such as war veterans and war collaborators associations.
Source - the standard
