MDC-T to hold strategic retreat to discuss issues raised by Mangoma

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his party's top brass will soon hold  a national executive committee strategic retreat to map out the way forward for the party in 2014 and beyond.

Party spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora, confirmed that following the MDC-T's national standing committee meeting yesterday, the leadership had resolved to convene the indaba.

"We have not set dates, but yes it is true that we will be going on a strategic retreat to discuss how we can operate better," said Mwonzora.

The opposition party has been teetering on the brink of implosion in the past two months after deputy treasurer Elton Mangoma wrote a damning letter urging Tsvangirai to step down "because his conduct had resulted in diminishing returns on the party and his legacy".

Tsvangirai reacted by convening a meeting of the party's 210 district chairpersons that turned ugly with  violent attack on Mangoma and other leaders by rowdy youths angered by demands for the party president to resign.

As the situation took a turn for the worst, Mangoma wrote another stinging letter, this time berating Tsvangirai for leadership failure and accusing the former prime minister of being the instigator-in-chief of the attack.

Other meetings followed, including a national executive meeting last week at which it was resolved that Mangoma's matter be referred to a national executive retreat, but insiders claimed Tsvangirai railroaded the process into the national council, resulting in the suspension of the ex-Energy minister. Party secretary general Tendai Biti for the first time wadded into the leadership renewal debate, describing the suspension as "illegal, null and void".

The deputy treasurer general will now be dragged before an "independent tribunal" in order to clear his name.

In a position paper released earlier this week, MDC-T youth assembly secretary general Promise Mkwananzi relived events of the March 7 meeting, saying that despite the national executive resolution not to refer the Mangoma issue to the national council  "…Mr. Tsvangirai returned from the adjournment more defiant than ever before, instructing members of the national executive that the charges would be taken to the national council with or without the ratification and approval of the national executive.

"Reluctantly, members proceeded to the national council. The national council had more in store, it was literally a war room with rowdy youths aligned to Tsvangirai singing and chanting slogans that were clearly designed to intimidate and coerce members of the national council," said Mkwananzi.

Meanwhile, Mwonzora said the MDC-T had appointed deputy secretary general Tapiwa Mashakada as acting deputy  treasurer.

"We have appointed Mashakada as acting treasurer general and we have also agreed on the lawyers who will make up the tribunal that will sit over the disciplinary issue.

I cannot give you the names until we approach the members," Mwonzora said.