THE MDC-T Veteran Activists Association (MDCVAA) — formed in 2008 to address social welfare issues of victims of political violence — has allegedly been denied affiliate membership by the main opposition party.
by NQOBILE BHEBHE
MDC-T officials, however, said the association group was at liberty to operate as a civic organisation.
“The national council sat and considered the formal VAA application for affiliate membership of the party,” MDC-T national spokesperson Obert Gutu told Southern Eye yesterday.
“The national council rejected to give VAA the affiliate status that they had applied for. Of course, VAA will continue to operate as a civic organisation that will always be at liberty to complement the efforts of the party in looking after the welfare issues of concerned party members.
“The MDC is a social democratic political party that is willing and ready to co-operate with any organisation(s) that has similar values, objectives and principles.”
Last year, then MDC-T organising secretary Nelson Chamisa was almost attacked in Bulawayo during a closed-door meeting held at the party’s provincial offices after dismissing VAA as bogus.
Of late, the organisation has been accused of pushing its members to occupy key posts within the MDC-T structures.
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The MDC-T leadership in Matabeleland is now pushing for the disbandment of the association which it has accused of fomenting divisions and seeking to hijack the opposition party’s programmes.
In September this year, the association vowed to boycott all party provincial meetings as they were pushing for the ouster of provincial chairman Gift Banda.
They also threatened to destabilise all rallies addressed by party leader Morgan Tsvangirai in the city.
Repeated efforts to get comment from MDCVAA Bulawayo chairman Isaac Mpofu and spokesperson Swithern Chirowodza were not successful as their mobile phones were not reachable.
