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From George Maponga in Masvingo
Factional fights continue to haunt MDC-T in Masvingo after the beleaguered party was recently forced to abandon the selection of council election candidates by consensus in the town due to threats of violence.

The MDC-T wanted to select the party’s candidates in all Masvingo city’s 10 wards by consensus ahead of this year’s harmonised elections but abandoned the exercise amid fears of violence involving rival factions.

There are two distinct MDC-T factions in Masvingo, one group was aligned to former Masvingo Urban legislator and lawyer Mr Tongai Matutu while the other was loyal to businessman and party national executive member Mr Takanai Mureyi.

Both Messers Mureyi and Matutu are in involved in a covert tug of war over the right to represent the MDC-T in Masvingo Urban in the forthcoming elections.

The two have prised the MDC-T apart in Masvingo because of their gruelling duel ahead of party primary elections due in the near future.

Sources in the party yesterday said the battle for the Masvingo UIrban seat has also cascaded to wards in the city a situation that reportedly derailed the party’s plans to elect council election candidates by consensus.

The process to select MDC-T candidates in all the 10 wards in Masvingo had to be called off amid fears of violence as supporters loyal to rival factions clashed over the choice of candidates.

The sources said the party was forced to resort to primary elections to choose candidates in all the 10 wards in Masvingo.

MDC-T Masvingo Provincial chairman Mr James Gumbi refused to comment on the matter citing party protocol.

The party’s deputy Provincial spokesperson Mr Simon Mupindu denied that his party had dumped consensus to select candidates for both council and National Assembly posts ahead of this year’s elections.

‘’We have not dumped consensus as a party but we just wanted to give our aspiring candidates an opportunity to self-evaluate themselves ahead of primary elections,’’ he said.