Tsvangirai, lieutenants almost came to blows

 The fallout over MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai's controversial decision to elevate Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri to vice-presidents reached a head last week after the party's leaders allegedly almost came to blows during a heated standing committee meeting.

Tsvangirai appointed Chamisa and Mudzuri, who joined elected vice-president Thokozani Khupe to ostensibly prepare the MDC-T for the crucial 2018 elections.

The MDC-T leader is battling cancer of the colon and has been flying in and out of the country to seek medical attention in neighbouring South Africa.

He said the appointments were also meant to relieve him of pressure of running the party while undergoing treatment. However, the move has backfired amid reports that divisions in the party's top echelons have reached crisis levels.

According to sources, some of the MDC-T's 11 standing committee members who attended the meeting in Harare on Wednesday exchanged harsh words over Tsvangirai's decision to appoint Chamisa and Mudzuri.

Those opposed to the appointments reportedly argued that the decision was ultra vires the party's constitution and should be reversed.