MDC-T deputy president, Thokozani Khupe will boycott today’s launch of the MDC Alliance at White City Stadium in Bulawayo, protesting the party’s failure to attend to concerns she raised about the coalition agreement.
By NQOBANI NDLOVU
Khupe’s spokesperson, Witness Dube said MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai’s deputy feels betrayed that the opposition party was “misdirecting itself” to focus on the rally and pushing off “the table substantive issues” she raised.
“Deputy president of MDC-T, Khupe will not be attending the Bulawayo MDC Alliance rally for the same reasons that she did not attend the last MDC-T national executive committee meeting,” Dube said.
Khupe recently wrote to Tsvangirai expressing objections about the MDC Alliance agreement, particularly over the distribution of parliamentary seats in Matabeleland South, North and Bulawayo.
The letter was co-signed by party chairperson, Lovemore Moyo and suspended organising secretary, Abednico Bhebhe.
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In the letter, Khupe, Bhebhe and Moyo said they avoided attending the meeting fearing for their safety more than a week after they were assaulted at the party’s Bulawayo offices for boycotting the launch of the MDC Alliance in Harare.
“I can assuredly say that the national chairman, as well as the national organising secretary, will also not be attending this rally on the same grounds,” Dube said.
“It is the collective view of these leaders that the MDC Alliance is misdirecting itself by focusing at a rally as a way of window dressing or pushing off the table the substantive issues that were raised in the letter that was written to the MDC-T president for and on behalf of many members within the MDC-T.
“A good membership within the MDC-T asked these three leaders to raise their concern on the seeming appearance of unilateralism in our decision making processes.
“People in Matabeleland strongly continue to condemn the use of violence on their congressionally elected leadership a few weeks back.”
MDC-T deputy spokesperson, Tabitha Khumalo on Thursday said Khupe and her allies were being selfish by resisting the “unstoppable” MDC Alliance.
“The train is moving and if there is anybody that thinks that they are going to stop this train, chances are not there because it is not being driven by us politicians but by the people of Zimbabwe,” she said.
“Zimbabweans have spoken, they want an alliance and it means some of us are going to lose our seats, let it be.
“The agenda is not about individuals or positions but about the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, some of us are being selfish,” she told journalists on Thursday at the Bulawayo Media Centre.