MDC-T national chairman Lovemore Moyo says the party will not waste time begging “rebels” who are seeking leadership renewal not to leave the party claiming that they are being used by Zanu PF.
Nqobile Bhebhe
Chief Reporter
Moyo, who is also in charge of the party’s disciplinary committee said MDC-T is a voluntary movement and any member who is no longer committed to the party ideals, was free to go.
Addressing party supporters on Saturday during a feedback rally at Stanley Square, in reference to suspended deputy national treasury Elton Mangoma and underfire secretary-general Tendai Biti, Moyo said “there are members who are now tired of the struggle”.
Mangoma has since been suspended after openly telling party leader Morgan Tsvangirai to step down.
Biti, who has been receiving a barrage of criticism — including being labelled a traitor — by supporters loyal to Tsvangirai for “admitting on national TV that the MDC-T lost clean to Zanu PF in the past elections”, has been snubbing rallies addressed by his boss.
He was absent on Saturday fuelling speculation that he is on his way out of the labour-backed party.
“This party is still alive. This party is strong and no one will destroy it,” Moyo said. “Some of us won’t leave the party and infighting is not unusual in a movement and in the struggle especially when it has taken too long to achieve its goal. Some of our members are now tired and are now calling for leadership renewal,” the former Speaker of Parliament said.
“We won’t waste time begging them to remain in the party.
MDC-T is a voluntary organisation and you are free to go and we won’t force you to stay.”
Moyo warned party members that some people would attempt to bribe remaining supporters to rebel saying money is the root of all evil.
His remarks came amid reports that Tsvangirai and Biti met last Tuesday to iron out their differences. Biti recently attracted the wrath of Tsvangirai’s supporters when he described the suspension of Mangoma as a legal nullity.
At all the three rallies that were addressed by Tsvangirai in Harare recently and in Bulawayo, Biti was absent. As fissures continue to widen, Mangoma joined other top party leaders like the national treasurer Roy Bennett and standing committee members Ian Kay, Eddie Cross and Elias Mudzuri, who have called on Tsvangirai to step down after losing three consecutive elections to President Robert Mugabe amid accusations of vote-rigging.
Mangoma wrote a four-page letter urging Tsvangirai to resign and allow fresh blood to take over.