THE MDC-T Bulawayo Veterans Association (VA) — a grouping of founding party members — says it is eyeing the chairman’s post left vacant by State Enterprises minister Gorden Moyo last week.
Moyo, the Makokoba MP, quit as Bulawayo provincial chairman on Friday, citing infighting, indiscipline and interference.
Yesterday the MDC T veterans said they had been condemned to non-key positions, saying none of them for example held a position in the top eight posts of the provincial executive.
Members of the MDC-T VA told journalists that they wanted the post to safeguard core values of the party.
Moyo was condemned as a new comer when he took over the Bulawayo chairmanship and the veterans association said “that will never happen again for a mafikizolo to hold a key post”.
“It’s very unfortunate that the majority of our members do not hold any meaningful positions in the party. Even opportunists have found their way into the party with security and intelligence very lack or not existing at all,” Jubert Mangena, the Bulawayo MDC-T VA chairman told journalists.
“There are several vacant positions in the province including the chairmanship. Any of our members are free to run for the posts and hold key positions. That’s what we want. We have been side-lined for too long,” he said.
“Top-eight positions of the party are occupied by non-veterans. Veterans only hold portfolio positions as secretaries. Our members don’t hold any key positions in the party. When the party grew in numbers, opportunities also came along and new comers voted for themselves leaving us the founding members,” Mangena added.
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“Such people didn’t know the core values of the party and that is why we are having all this confusion. What has been happening is that there are newcomers that have come to the party and have been voted into positions of authority by using their money, rigging elections and or using their tongue to lie to the voters. We are saying no to that. The party should belong to us, the veterans.”
Mangena also appeared to be taking a dig at senior party members, among them, party vice-president, Thokozani Khupe who stands accused of fanning factionalism in Bulawayo and also imposing her favourites to key positions.
Khupe was accused of forcing Moyo on the Bulawayo province and now faces charges of using her lofty position to whip the province into line and ensure Gift Banda, the deputy mayor takes over the vacant post.
Mangena said they condemn any imposition of candidates, going further to add that “we will not allow or accept that again”.
“At the same time, the MDC-VA shall not condone any wrongdoing perpetrated by the same leadership or officials that we support, be it corruption, dictatorship and or impositions or violence,” he indicated.
He also pledged undying loyalty to party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai and described the MDC-T renewal team as renegades.
“The renegades are now leaving the party and we won’t align ourselves with such characters. There are many (renegades) who in short they call themselves renewal team,” Mangena said.
“They are not a threat to the party. We as MDC-T veterans are fully behind Tsvangirai and support leadership elected in congress.”
