Mangoma 'ally' faces axe as MDC-T purging continues

THE MDC-T Bulawayo Youth Assembly has resolved to suspend its chairperson, Bekithemba Nyathi, who is accused of working in cahoots with expelled deputy treasurer general, Elton Mangoma, as purging of leadership renewal proponents within the party continues.
Nyathi is the National Assembly member for Mpopoma-Pelandaba constituency.
Radio Dialogue has it on good authority that the provincial executive met at its party offices in Bulawayo on Wednesday last week where they sought to pass a vote of no confidence on Nyathi after his alleged links with the now disposed Mangoma.
It is alleged there was consensus from those who attended the meeting to suspend the chairperson as he was accused of being "unclear on which faction he belonged to".
Nyathi was absent in the meeting as he was in Harare on parliament business.
Due to his absence it was decided that the decision for his ouster be communicated to him in his presence.
It is reported that the provincial executive is set to meet on Thursday where Nyathi will officially be suspended.
"We are suspending him (Nyathi) on Thursday. We feel that as the chairperson he is failing to represent us as a province. He has dodged three National Council meeting in Harare and the reasons are best known to him," said a highly placed source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"We met last week and we resolved to suspend him but the problem is that he was not present at the meeting. We then resolved to wait for him to return from Harare and then we can officially suspend him."
Another party source privy of the development said that was a veiled excuse to kick Nyathi out but it is alleged he belongs to the leadership renewal team led by Elton Mangoma, who has since been kicked out of the party.
"We want to purge the party of all those who are calling for leadership renewal in the party and Nyathi is one of those people. He must go," said the source.
On friday last week, the MDC-T expelled Mangoma, together with national executive member Last Maengahama, youth secretary-general Promise Mkhwananzi and Jacob Mafume, on allegations of insubordination and violating the party's constitution.
Charles Moyo, the youth assembly spokesperson confirmed that a resolution to suspend Nyathi has been passed. "We have tracked the record of our chairperson and we have realised that he is very unclear. As a result we have decided to suspend him.
"During this time of confusion we need a leader who provides leadership with the right direction," said Moyo.
Nyathi denied belonging to the leadership renewal team and repeatedly aligned his allegiance to party president Morgan Tsvangirai.
"Firstly, I am not aware of that (suspension as Bulawayo youth provincial chairman), it is news to me, they have not informed me that they have such kind of plans.
"For me it will be a shock because, as a party we have a constitution and processes and one of the processes is congress. Our congress is held once in five years and my term ends in 2015. "For anyone to think they can sit under a tree and over a beer decide to suspend me like that, they are insane," said Nyathi.
Nyathi also denied that he belonged to any faction, insisting that MDC-T was united.
"This party was formed on values and I belong to a party which is united and does not have factions. If there is anyone in the party who belongs to any faction then they are not fit to hold a position," he said.
Nyathi insisted that he was not going anywhere as he had not violated the party's constitution.