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party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai suffering a major embarrassment after his favoured provincial chair, Mr Gorden Moyo, was trounced by the Mr Matson Hlalo-led faction in a last minute provincial restructuring exercise held at the party’s Bulawayo offices on Tuesday night.
About 5 500 delegates are expected to attend the party’s third national congress at Barbourfields Stadium starting today where Kenyan Prime Minister, Mr Raila Odinga will be the guest of honour.
Mr Hlalo’s faction won eight positions against Mr Moyo’s five out of the 13 posts that were being contested in the main wing.
It emerged yesterday that party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was cornered to endorse the election of the “unpopular” Mr Moyo because of mounting pressure from Matabeleland North and South provinces.
The two provinces reportedly threatened to pull out of the party if Mr Hlalo, who is believed to be from Masvingo, led the party in Bulawayo.
The election was aborted three times as the two rival camps fought each other in a development that saw Bulawayo being labelled one of the most volatile provinces in the party.
Mr Tsvangirai had to endorse Mr Moyo as the rightfully elected candidate for the position of chairman to allow the violent election to progress peacefully.
Mr Moyo, a former civic society activist, is deputised by Ms Dorcas Sibanda while Mr Reggie Moyo is the secretary deputised by Mr Ralph Magunje.
Mr Albert Mhlanga won the organising secretary’s post and would be deputised by Ms Tsepiso Mpofu. Councillor Earnest Rafemoyo won the post of the elections director.
The provincial spokesperson’s post went to Mr Mandlenkosi Sibanda who defeated Mr Felix Mafa Sibanda.
Losing chairperson, Mr Hlalo returned as a committee member together with Ms Agnes Mloyi (former provincial chair), Pauline Booni, Eve Jamela and Nyarai Sithole.
Mr Bekithemba Nyathi retained the post of youth wing provincial chair in an election that the Hlalo faction won resoundingly.
The Women’s Assembly will hold its elections after the congress due to serious squabbles in the party.
Sources said the regional leaders were worried that the provinces were being led by people who did not originate from Matabeleland.
Mr Washington Sibanda and Mr Sengezo Tshabangu are the chairpersons for Matabeleland South and North respectively.
“Mr Tsvangirai had no option but to accept the will of the people.
“As people from Matabeleland region, we are not amused by having leaders who do not come from this region such as Mr Hlalo,” said a source.
“We even told the national leadership that if we continue to have leaders from outside the province, we will pull out of the party. We have realised that some party leaders are keen on suppressing local leaders and imposing ‘foreigners’ on us.
“We have not heard a case where someone from Matabeleland region became a leader in another province outside his area and we cannot allow that to happen here.”
On the other hand, Mr Moyo is being labelled a mafikizolo (new comer) and is accused of rigging the polls by Mr Hlalo’s camp.
“We feel cheated and the president did not handle this case properly. We know that the president favours Mr Moyo because he is a good source of funds for the party. There was supposed to be a re-run because we were not treated fairly.
“The results have proved that Mr Hlalo is more popular than Mr Moyo and we consider it as victory for the struggle against imposed leaders who use money to manipulate the electorate.”
Meanwhile, party delegates from Matabeleland North and South, Harare and Manicaland provinces started arriving in Bulawayo yesterday and were being taken to various centres where they will be staying.
The delegates will live at John Slaven Primary School, Founders, Gifford, Luveve, Milton, Northlea and Townsend High Schools and a number of lodges and hotels in the city.
Other provinces were also expected to arrive last night.
Some delegates were already at the venue waiting to be taken to the accommodation centres while truckloads of bedding were being offloaded at the party’s offices before being taken to where the party members would be staying.
Bulawayo province was expected to convene a meeting last night to nominate candidates for the national leadership.
Some of the delegates will also be drawn from the party’s three external assemblies like South Africa, United States and United Kingdom together with the international districts of Canada and New Zealand.
The party’s national organising secretary, Mr Elias Mudzuri, said his party had enough security for the congress and could even do without the police.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo said the police had no special provision for the congress and the party would have to ensure that there was security during the event.
“The convener must ensure that there is security to prevent violence.
“We have no special deployment for the congress but we deployed our officers everywhere during the Easter holiday and Barbourfields also falls within that same deployment.
“As police we do not condone violence and we will deal with any unruly elements, especially this time when we will be having international visitors,” said Insp Moyo.