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Tendai Biti

Nyemudzai Kakore Harare Bureau
THE MDC Renewal Team led by Tendai Biti yesterday appointed its National Executive Committee members and various working committees as the faction moves to evolve into a fully-fledged political party.The Renewal Team has been calling on MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai to step down accusing him of leadership failure that has resulted in successive electoral losses to Zanu-PF.

The National Executive Committee will be made up of 16 working committees tasked with various activities.

Biti will be chairing finance, administration and policy and research functions of the grouping while Elton Mangoma will chair the informal sector and livelihoods committee.

The organising committee is headed by Dzivarasekwa MP Solomon Madzore, recruitment and mobilisation chaired by Jeffreyson Chitando while the faction’s spokesperson Jacob Mafume will chair the communications committee.

Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya will chair the labour and civic society committee while Kerry Kay will head local government portfolio.
Shepherd Mushonga will head legal affairs, Kuwadzana representative Lucia Matibenga will chair social welfare, and Last Maengahama will lead the cadreship development and ideology portfolio while Willas Madzimure will head the parliamentary affairs committee.

Former Bulawayo provincial chairman Gorden Moyo will chair the diaspora and international relations committee.

Constitutional implementation will be chaired by an L Shaba while former Masvingo Urban representative Tongai Matutu will be head of elections.

Mafume denied that they were forming a new party when he announced chairpersons of the working committees.

“We haven’t formed our own new party, we have expelled certain leaders. The message for Renewal is resonating with many of our members. It has taken time for some of them to think about these issues, it is a marathon and not a sprint, we are doing this for 2018 where there is the next election and we are willing to contribute to the national development.

“More MPs are going to join us and they have indicated to us quietly, some will speak at their  own time and we will be making announcements,” he said.

Senator for Harare, Rorana Muchiwa, Tsholotsho North representative Roselene Nkomo, Dangamvura- Chikanga representative Arnold Tsunga and former Mazowe Central representative Shepherd Mushonga attended their first public meeting as members of the Renewal Team.

MDC-T former chairperson for Bulawayo, Moyo, who resigned from his position last month, accepted a position within the Renewal faction.

Former spokesperson of Arthur Mutambara led MDC faction, Maxwell Zimuto also joined the Renewal group.

Mafume said their faction would work to  provide jobs, education and a stable economy for Zimbabweans.

He also backed the land reform programme saying the current exercise spearheaded by the Zanu-PF-led government was irreversible.

“The land question is irreversible and every Zimbabwean must benefit from the land. The land audit will weed out corruption and multiple land ownership,” he said.

The Renewal group said it would hold its first congress in March next year.