Opinion / Columnist
MDC-T provincial chairpersons exonerate Khupe
19 Jan 2018 at 07:04hrs | Views
According to MDC-T Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora, provincial chairpersons who attended the National Standing Committee meeting that was held at Harvest House on Thursday raised concern on the "unfair" allocation of Parliamentary seats to the MDC-T under the MDC Alliance, which they said had weakened the party.
According to Mwonzora in an interview with the NewsDay, provincial chairpersons felt that some of the seats allocated to other Alliance partners were really MDC-T strongholds as the party had been winning them consistently during previous elections.
According to Mwonzora, provincial chairpersons and other provincial leaders had raised credible concerns which warranted the party's attention. Mwonzora is quoted saying "we discussed the proposed seat distribution as well as the concerns raised by our chairpersons and provincial leaders. What will happen, therefore, is that these concerns are going to be taken back to the alliance partners through our negotiators for further discussion. We were of the opinion that some of the concerns raised by our chairpersons were credible and we will bring those concerns to our alliance partners."
Manicaland provincial chairman, David Chimhini cited Mutasa South and Chimanimani West constituencies as MDC-T strongholds which were surrendered to other Alliance partners.
While the MDC-T may pretend that the concern on seats distribution in the Alliance is new, it is apparent that these are the very concerns which were raised by the party's vice president, Thokozani Khupe when Tsvangirai unilaterally railroaded the party into the alliance. Khupe complained that the MDC-T did not need an alliance in the Matabeleland region as the party had been consistently winning majority seats in that region. As we all know, Khupe, National Chairman Lovemore Moyo and Organising Secretary Abednico Bhebhe were eventually assaulted by hooligans reportedly dispatched form Harvest House over their opposition to the Alliance.
The chickens have now come home to roost as the party has now officially acknowledged that the concerns by Khupe are genuine. Regrettably, Khupe and company were assaulted over the issue which now, according to Mwonzora, will be an agenda during Alliance meetings.
The on-going contestations within the party over Tsvangirai succession has once again exposed the party's lack of regard for gender considerations, in exactly similar fashion with the dismissal of Khupe's concerns on the Alliance.
The nation awaits the outcome of the contestations for power in the opposition party with a baited breath.
According to Mwonzora in an interview with the NewsDay, provincial chairpersons felt that some of the seats allocated to other Alliance partners were really MDC-T strongholds as the party had been winning them consistently during previous elections.
According to Mwonzora, provincial chairpersons and other provincial leaders had raised credible concerns which warranted the party's attention. Mwonzora is quoted saying "we discussed the proposed seat distribution as well as the concerns raised by our chairpersons and provincial leaders. What will happen, therefore, is that these concerns are going to be taken back to the alliance partners through our negotiators for further discussion. We were of the opinion that some of the concerns raised by our chairpersons were credible and we will bring those concerns to our alliance partners."
Manicaland provincial chairman, David Chimhini cited Mutasa South and Chimanimani West constituencies as MDC-T strongholds which were surrendered to other Alliance partners.
While the MDC-T may pretend that the concern on seats distribution in the Alliance is new, it is apparent that these are the very concerns which were raised by the party's vice president, Thokozani Khupe when Tsvangirai unilaterally railroaded the party into the alliance. Khupe complained that the MDC-T did not need an alliance in the Matabeleland region as the party had been consistently winning majority seats in that region. As we all know, Khupe, National Chairman Lovemore Moyo and Organising Secretary Abednico Bhebhe were eventually assaulted by hooligans reportedly dispatched form Harvest House over their opposition to the Alliance.
The chickens have now come home to roost as the party has now officially acknowledged that the concerns by Khupe are genuine. Regrettably, Khupe and company were assaulted over the issue which now, according to Mwonzora, will be an agenda during Alliance meetings.
The on-going contestations within the party over Tsvangirai succession has once again exposed the party's lack of regard for gender considerations, in exactly similar fashion with the dismissal of Khupe's concerns on the Alliance.
The nation awaits the outcome of the contestations for power in the opposition party with a baited breath.
Source - Tererai Danga
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