Tsvangirai admits MDC-T coup bid

MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai has admitted for the first that MDC-T members are calling for his ouster in the wake of successive election defeats.

Mr Tsvangirai revealed this in an interview with the BBC last week while in London where he featured at a sideshow organised to counter the visit by the Antwerp World Diamond Council delegation to Zimbabwe.

"Individuals have their own individual opinions. There is no division in the MDC. There are individuals with opinions about my leadership. Yes, but you do not express those kind of opinions through the Press. You go to the organs of the party.

"I have actually encouraged internal debate in the party. Why can't they use those platforms? We cannot accept the fact that I have now become the liability of the party when Zanu-PF actually looks at me as an enemy and as the biggest challenge they have faced over the years. So you are actually falling into the trap of Zanu-PF to say remove Tsvangirai. Why? Because I have been the biggest threat. That is not the way to correct it," he said.

However, the chorus that Mr Tsvangirai must go is growing louder in the opposition party and contrary to his claim that he has encouraged "internal debate in the party'', MDC-T members who have dared broach the subject have been subjected to disciplinary measures.

Recently, MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora, also confirmed that many party officials wanted Mr Tsvangirai to leave the helm.

Leading the chorus are; self-exiled treasurer-general Mr Roy Bennett, Bulawayo South legislator Mr Eddie Cross, former Marondera Central MP Mr Ian Kay and white former commercial farmer Mr Ben Freeth among others.

Mr Tsvangirai suffered humbling defeats at the hands of President Mugabe and Zanu-PF in 2000, 2002, 2005, March 2008, June 2008 and 2013.

In the recent harmonised elections, President Mugabe garnered 2 110 434 (61.09 percent) of the vote, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai 1 172 349 (33.94 percent), Welshman Ncube 92 637 (2.68 percent), Dumiso Dabengwa 25 416 (0.74 percent), Kisinoti Mukwazhe 9 931 (0.29 percent).

Zanu-PF won overwhelmingly in the National Assembly, gaining 197 seats after factoring in 60 women elected by proportional representation, while MDC-T has 70, MDC two with one independent.

Despite suffering such a huge electoral loss at the hands of Zanu-PF, Mr Tsvangirai said he was determined to remain MDC-T leader.

"I am determined to be the president of the country and I will be one," he said.