MDC-T faces imminent collapse: Cross
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Mr Eddie Cross

Takunda Maodza Assistant News Editor
MDC-T faces imminent collapse owing to the total breakdown of relations in the Standing Committee and a leadership that resorts to violence to deal with perceived opponents, Bulawayo South legislator Mr Eddie Cross has said. Interestingly, Mr Cross last Saturday showered praises on Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, calling him “inkosi yami” (My King) yet secretly he condemns and denounces him.

In an e-mail to one Kerry about developments in MDC-T leaked to The Herald, Mr Cross suggests that drastic measures be urgently taken to save the party from imminent collapse.

Kerry is suspected to be the wife to Mr Ian Kay.

Reads the e-mail dated March 10, 2014: “I think that the survival of the MDC is now at risk. Drastic measures are called for and immediately. To highlight that there is the total breakdown of relationships in the standing committee, the increasing use of violence to intimidate leadership at variance with president and the attempt to restructure the party leadership at provincial level. In the latter we now have a totally dysfunctional leadership in Matabeleland North and South, Bulawayo and Manicaland. Nelson Chamisa and (Abednico) Bhebhe seem to be responsible.”

Mr Chamisa is the MDC-T national organising secretary and is deputised by Mr Bhebhe.

“This situation is serious that Gordon Moyo has withdrawn himself from the party for three months.  I want the national executive convened as soon as possible to take grip on things and make decisions that will be binding to all leadership.

“This cannot be achieved at council and we simply cannot call a congress. For me the critical issues are: resolving the conflict in the senior leadership, resolving the Mangoma issue without recourse to a legal tribunal, resolving the situation in the provinces, agreement on the all stakeholders conference in May 2014,” adds Mr Cross.

He proposes a congress in March 2015 and wants an agreement that “we will start conducting party structure pre-congress  elections in July, concluding in December”.

Mr Cross is against the restructuring of the party demanding that the present ones remain in place and be captured on a computer data base held at Harvest House.

“The new leadership structures elected in 2014 will be recorded on the data base that will then be used to provide the attendance register for the 2015 congress. The database of existing structures will be used to conduct the elections in 2014 at branch, ward, district and province,” he said.

Mr Cross reveals that the MDC-T is broke and must rely on member’s contributions for survival.

“Agreement to raise a target of US$200 000 a month from the membership with a target for each province. A special committee to be formed to give oversight of the fund raising exercise and the resultant expenditures on party business. The committee to be charged with raising US$3 million for the cost of congress. What do others think?” he said.

In her response, Kerry had no kind words for Mr Tsvangirai.

“Resolve conflict in senior leadership – this could have been done at the onset when EM first gave MT his letter. However MT as we know from his attitude and actions was incensed at his leadership (lack thereof) being put to question that he dug his heels in and shared the letter with the standing committee. The letter apparently leaked to press by NC,” Kerry said.

She accused Mr Tsvangirai and some Standing Committee members of having “whipped up so much negative or violent emotions against Elton Mangoma, Tendai Biti and others”

“This violent energy permeated out national council, with people shouting ‘Bennett’ when Brian James spoke, not to mention Hlatshwayo calling him a “mubhunu”. The way LM (Lovemore Moyo) presented the charges at council was totally partisan, relishing and embellishing every word, then TM (Theresa Makone) leaping to her feet ululating when the women “voted”. Yes, shocking,” Kerry said.

She said it was impossible to resolve the situation in the provinces accusing Chamisa, Theresa Makone and Morgan Komichi of imposing candidates, inciting violence, vote rigging and buying.

“It would expose the sacred cows that MT is protecting. I agree to call a congress in 2015 all very well but all contentious issues including succession need to be addressed well before. Congress always bring the worst out in most cases of our leadership and a congress in only a year will be disastrous and without doubt the campaigning and congress itself will again be fraught with violence.”

She dismissed a suggestion to raise money from the membership as a joke.

“Our party could not even sell membership cards without all the money going missing and the whole exercise fell apart. Eddie’s ideas are good but theoretical and idealistic. Sorry Eddie, but we have passed a point of no return. This is evidenced by the appalling and unconstitutional way that the council and previous district chair meeting were convened and carried out.”

Kerry said Tsvangirai was provided with information, with proof, of perpetrators of violence, vote buying, rigging, corruption, theft of party funds but ignored it.

“Sadly, the MDC that we have all committed to 100% for 14 years, many of us losing all we ever had, not to mention those who died terrible deaths, will never be the same. As I said at NEC last week, it is a cancer that has insidiously grown and been allowed to spread, with MT refusing any treatments. Kerry.”

Mr Cross yesterday confirmed to The Herald that he generated the e-mail to Kerry.

“Of course, that is my e-mail,” he said.

Kerry was unavailable for a comment.

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