MDC-T officials cry foul over rigged election

Politics
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai last Thursday ordered the Midlands North provincial executive to hold fresh elections to fill their quota of three members who will represent them at national executive level.

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai last Thursday ordered the Midlands North provincial executive to hold fresh elections to fill their quota of three members who will represent them at national executive level.

BLESSED MHLANGA Own Correspondent The order came after former Local Government secretary,Blessing Chebundo and former secretary for Health, Henry Madzorera, who were dumped in the first round of internal elections, reportedly complained to Tsvangirai that the elections had been rigged.

Midlands North province held elections in Gokwe, where Willard Somerai, Editor Matamisa and Albert Machando were elected to the national executive, while Chebundo and Madzorera lost.

Provincial information secretary Fellex Zifunzi confirmed the closed door meeting held in Kwekwe, which was attended by party secretary general, Douglas Mwonzora and chaired by Tsvangirai.

“Yes, we held that meeting at our party office and discussed among other issues strategies of mobilising support and planning for a massive electoral win in 2018,” he said.

“The provincial leadership briefed the president about the election of three national executive members, a matter that has become a thorn in our flesh.”

Zifunzi accused Chebundo and Madzorera of failing to accept the results of the elections held by the province.

“In the meeting they insisted that they were the legitimate national executive members, who should represent us, but that is not true,” he said.

“We told the president that Chebundo and Madzorera had been elected by one person, Sedwell Bhebhe our chairperson, and not by council and as such could not pass as the legitimate representatives.

“We managed to convince the president, but because of other pressures, which I can’t mention, he ordered us to have new elections.”

Midlands North, which has for long been fighting factionalism with Chebundo on the one side and Mbizo legislator, Settlement Chikwinya on the other, will now hold a provincial consultative forum on March 7, before proceeding to elections for national executive representatives.

“We have resolved to have the consultative forum so that we are all clear on the rules of the elections after which we would hold an election,” Zifunze said.

“Those who are popular will carry the day and those who want to use stooges to gain power will be left in the cold.”

MDC- T spokesperson, Obert Gutu was, however, singing a different tune, saying the matter was still under discussion and no order for a rerun had yet been issued.

“President Tsvangirai was in Midlands North to conduct an induction of elected members of the provincial council. It is the only province where we had not conducted the induction, but now it has been done,” he said.

“Those are issues which are still under discussion and were not on the agenda of the meeting between Tsvangirai and the provincial council.”