News / Local
MDC members in a near fist fight, youths thrown out of offices
01 Dec 2013 at 04:44hrs | Views
MEMBERS of the Bulawayo provincial leadership in the Professor Welshman Ncube-led MDC last Tuesday nearly exchanged blows with the party's provincial youth wing resulting in the former throwing the youths out of their provincial offices.
The youth executive had to be forced to hold their executive meeting outside their provincial offices that are located along Jason Moyo Street between Third and Fourth Avenue.
The meeting was reportedly meant to cement the youth wing's position calling for the immediate recalling of the party's secretary general, Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, who was reportedly imposed as a Member of the National Assembly under proportional representation in Matabeleland South province by the MDC leadership.
It is reported that the youth wing has refused to endorse Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga's imposition while the main wing is backing the secretary general.
The beleaguered Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga last month held a prayer meeting at the party's provincial offices to blunt a motion for her ouster by some senior members of the party.
According to sources close to the proceedings, the main wing, led by the provincial organising secretary Ms Christabel Sibutha and executive members Mrs Jasmine Toffa and Mrs Bonele Hadebe gate-crashed the meeting that was initially meant to start at 3.30pm. "Initially we found the offices locked despite us having got formal approval to hold the meeting, when we finally managed to force our way inside the three insisted on sitting through the meeting. When they realised that the resolutions were not going according to their wishes that's when all hell broke loose, they ordered us out of their offices saying they now wanted to lock up, they even went to the extent of grabbing some of our leaders by the collar, dragging them outside.
"We tried to then hold the meeting in the court yard, where again we were thrown out, eventually the meeting had to be held in the street outside the building but still they tried in vain to disrupt proceedings," said the source.
The three are alleged to have been shouting obscenities at the youth leaders labelling them sellouts. The provincial party youth assembly spokesperson, Mr Khumbulani Malinga, said despite the fracas that preceded the meeting, what was important was that the youth assembly had reached a position, which they had made known to the party leadership.
"All I can say at the moment is that indeed we had a meeting on Tuesday and reached some binding resolutions which we have made known to the national executive.
"What transpired during that meeting is now behind us, we are committed as a provincial youth executive to ensuring that the political crisis that has bedevilled the party is resolved," said Mr Malinga.
MDC national youth assembly secretary general Mr Decent Bajila confirmed receiving the reports and accused unnamed individuals of trying to cause conflict in the province.
"I have received the resolutions and note that they (the youths) request no particular action from the national youth executive. We will be guided by the main executive of Bulawayo province in responding to their demands and resolutions. All I can say is that we have been watching some trigger-happy tendencies and importation of conflicts from other provinces to Bulawayo, therefore, the latest turn of events does not come as a surprise to some of us," said Mr Bajila.
The provincial organising secretary, Mrs Sibutha, declined to comment on the disturbances between her and the provincial youth assembly, referring all questions to the provincial spokesperson, Mr Edwin Ndlovu, whom she said had the correct position of the scuffle.
Mr Ndlovu on the other hand revealed that the main reason for the youths being barred from the office was that the meeting was allegedly being addressed by a suspended party member who had subsequently resigned after refusing to attend a disciplinary hearing.
"From what I understand, Ntando Ndlovu, who we suspended as a party pending disciplinary hearing, before he subsequently tendered his resignation, was set to address that meeting. That is the reason the provincial organiser was forced to bar them from using our offices. It honestly did not make any logical sense for a former member of the party to address a meeting at our party offices.
"He refused to attend a disciplinary hearing, we also have his resignation letter in our offices to prove his resignation," said Mr Ndlovu.
According to a communiqué on the meeting that was sent to the national executive the provincial youth executive blasted the party leadership for its continued silence on the Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga saga and the continued resignation of national executive members of the party.
"We resolve that the standing committee must sit as a matter of urgency to put an end to the issue. If the standing committee fails to resolve the issue the national executive must sit to look at the matter. If need arises, the national chairman Mr Goodrich Chimbaira must call a national council meeting which is the highest decision making body in between congress and the matter be put to vote and resolved," reads part of the communiqué.
To further exacerbate the confusion within the embattled party the provincial youth wing resolved not to recognise the provincial main wing and operate according to their own rules and decisions.
"We are going to engage the national appeals tribunal led by the vice president Edwin Mushoriwa to mitigate the overzealous breach or gang-raping of the MDC constitution by the misguided elements within the province who have engaged in an expulsion mode of all cadres with dissenting voices killing the spirit of healthy and democratic debate within the party.
"We want to stress it that from today we are not going to listen, take or consider any decision or directive from the Bulawayo province main wing until the national appeals tribunal sits," reads the youth wing's resolutions. The beleaguered party, which failed to garner a single seat in the 31 July elections, was thrown into turmoil after the imposition of Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga with a number of its senior members resigning in protest.
The secretary general's name was reportedly imposed to top the list in the women's quota for National Assembly seats.
In the original women's quota list for Matabeleland South, Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga's name was on fourth position but was later changed and placed at the top, replacing Ms Elizabeth Ndlovu, who appeared to be the province's favourite for the seat. Ms Ndlovu is the party's provincial chairperson of the Women's Assembly.
The youth executive had to be forced to hold their executive meeting outside their provincial offices that are located along Jason Moyo Street between Third and Fourth Avenue.
The meeting was reportedly meant to cement the youth wing's position calling for the immediate recalling of the party's secretary general, Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, who was reportedly imposed as a Member of the National Assembly under proportional representation in Matabeleland South province by the MDC leadership.
It is reported that the youth wing has refused to endorse Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga's imposition while the main wing is backing the secretary general.
The beleaguered Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga last month held a prayer meeting at the party's provincial offices to blunt a motion for her ouster by some senior members of the party.
According to sources close to the proceedings, the main wing, led by the provincial organising secretary Ms Christabel Sibutha and executive members Mrs Jasmine Toffa and Mrs Bonele Hadebe gate-crashed the meeting that was initially meant to start at 3.30pm. "Initially we found the offices locked despite us having got formal approval to hold the meeting, when we finally managed to force our way inside the three insisted on sitting through the meeting. When they realised that the resolutions were not going according to their wishes that's when all hell broke loose, they ordered us out of their offices saying they now wanted to lock up, they even went to the extent of grabbing some of our leaders by the collar, dragging them outside.
"We tried to then hold the meeting in the court yard, where again we were thrown out, eventually the meeting had to be held in the street outside the building but still they tried in vain to disrupt proceedings," said the source.
The three are alleged to have been shouting obscenities at the youth leaders labelling them sellouts. The provincial party youth assembly spokesperson, Mr Khumbulani Malinga, said despite the fracas that preceded the meeting, what was important was that the youth assembly had reached a position, which they had made known to the party leadership.
"All I can say at the moment is that indeed we had a meeting on Tuesday and reached some binding resolutions which we have made known to the national executive.
"What transpired during that meeting is now behind us, we are committed as a provincial youth executive to ensuring that the political crisis that has bedevilled the party is resolved," said Mr Malinga.
MDC national youth assembly secretary general Mr Decent Bajila confirmed receiving the reports and accused unnamed individuals of trying to cause conflict in the province.
The provincial organising secretary, Mrs Sibutha, declined to comment on the disturbances between her and the provincial youth assembly, referring all questions to the provincial spokesperson, Mr Edwin Ndlovu, whom she said had the correct position of the scuffle.
Mr Ndlovu on the other hand revealed that the main reason for the youths being barred from the office was that the meeting was allegedly being addressed by a suspended party member who had subsequently resigned after refusing to attend a disciplinary hearing.
"From what I understand, Ntando Ndlovu, who we suspended as a party pending disciplinary hearing, before he subsequently tendered his resignation, was set to address that meeting. That is the reason the provincial organiser was forced to bar them from using our offices. It honestly did not make any logical sense for a former member of the party to address a meeting at our party offices.
"He refused to attend a disciplinary hearing, we also have his resignation letter in our offices to prove his resignation," said Mr Ndlovu.
According to a communiqué on the meeting that was sent to the national executive the provincial youth executive blasted the party leadership for its continued silence on the Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga saga and the continued resignation of national executive members of the party.
"We resolve that the standing committee must sit as a matter of urgency to put an end to the issue. If the standing committee fails to resolve the issue the national executive must sit to look at the matter. If need arises, the national chairman Mr Goodrich Chimbaira must call a national council meeting which is the highest decision making body in between congress and the matter be put to vote and resolved," reads part of the communiqué.
To further exacerbate the confusion within the embattled party the provincial youth wing resolved not to recognise the provincial main wing and operate according to their own rules and decisions.
"We are going to engage the national appeals tribunal led by the vice president Edwin Mushoriwa to mitigate the overzealous breach or gang-raping of the MDC constitution by the misguided elements within the province who have engaged in an expulsion mode of all cadres with dissenting voices killing the spirit of healthy and democratic debate within the party.
"We want to stress it that from today we are not going to listen, take or consider any decision or directive from the Bulawayo province main wing until the national appeals tribunal sits," reads the youth wing's resolutions. The beleaguered party, which failed to garner a single seat in the 31 July elections, was thrown into turmoil after the imposition of Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga with a number of its senior members resigning in protest.
The secretary general's name was reportedly imposed to top the list in the women's quota for National Assembly seats.
In the original women's quota list for Matabeleland South, Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga's name was on fourth position but was later changed and placed at the top, replacing Ms Elizabeth Ndlovu, who appeared to be the province's favourite for the seat. Ms Ndlovu is the party's provincial chairperson of the Women's Assembly.
Source - sundaynews
