'Sipepa Nkomo using bicycles in renewal fight'

A senior MDC Renewal team official has been accused of using party property to force people to join the team.

Party members have said people loyal to Lobengula legislator and interim chairperson of the MDC-renewal team, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, withdrew campaign bicycles from those reluctant to join his renewal team.

During the run-up to last year's elections, Nkomo distributed bicycles to district executive members for campaigning purposes.

"Nkomo's followers come to my house demanding that I return my bicycle because I refused to be part of renewal team. I told them that I am only willing to return the bicycle on condition that Nkomo return my vote which I gave him on July 31, 2013. Apart from that the bicycles were of cheap quality and most of them including mine have developed major defects which cannot be repaired," said one district executive member who refused to be named for fear of victimisation.

Phineas Ndlovu, former MDC-T councillor who contested the council elections as an independent candidate, confirmed that he heard reports that Nkomo and his fellows were withdrawing the bicycles from party members suspected of being linked to the MDC led by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Nkomo confirmed that he distributed the bicycles but denied ordering their withdrawal from dissenting members. "The executive members are in charge of those bicycles and I do not have control of them," said Nkomo, who is also the former Minister of Water Resources Development and Management in the inclusive government.