MDC Renewal Team secretary-general Tendai Biti is tipped to take over the party reins at its inaugural congress tentatively slated for August 21-24.
BY Cliff Chiduku
The venue for the congress is yet to be decided, but in Harare.
The MDC Renewal Team in a statement yesterday said: “The party is set to hold its inaugural convention in August 2015. This convention shall decide on the new party name, symbol, constitution, economic blueprint, ideology and minimum electoral demands.
“. . . the national convention committee has mandate to receive inputs from the provinces on the party name, party symbol, party ideology, and the roadmap towards 2018. Further, the committee is also receiving nominations from the provinces for the national leadership. The nominations to the national leadership shall be tabled to the party’s national council before being subjected to a vote by the national convention. In this regard, the names of the nominees will only be availed to the public after the national chairman’s report has been considered by the national council ahead of the national convention.”
At the convention, the opposition party will also elect its new substantive national leadership, but party insiders said Biti was likely to land the president’s post.
“Judging by the number of provincial nominations, there is no doubt that Biti is going to land the presidency post unopposed. He has national appeal and it seems party members want him to take the party forward,” a source said.
Another source said Gorden Moyo, who currently heads the international relations committee, was likely to land the secretary-general post.
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“Things are falling into shape,” the source said. “Unless something unlikely happens, Moyo is likely to be the next secretary-general, with Lucia Matibenga as national chairperson and former Dzivaresekwa MP Solomon Madzore assuming the organising secretary’s post, while Benson Ntini will take over as treasurer-general.”
The source added that Tongai Matutu was also eyeing the secretary-general’s post, while former MDC-T Manicaland chairperson Julius Magarangoma was eyeing the treasurer-general post.
Last Maengahama and Madzore will do battle for the organising secretary post. Jacob Mafume is likely to retain his post as party spokesperson.
Biti yesterday referred all questions to Mafume.
Contacted for comment, Mafume said: “We believe we have a very collective and competent leadership within our rank and file.
This is the reason why we are rebranding and coming up with a new leadership. We believe we will stand on our own with our own identity. Renewal is the way to go.”
