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Thokozani Khupe

MDC-T vice president Thokozani Khupe is learning the hard way that her boss and party leader Morgan Tsvangirai is a tinpot dictator who does not tolerate divergent views and runs the party like his personal fiefdom. Her position has become totally untenable following the latest clashes between rival factions in Bulawayo.

It appears the party has splintered into two with Khupe and national organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe fighting in one corner while Member of the House of Assembly for Bulawayo Central Dorcas Sibanda, Bulawayo East MP Thabitha Khumalo and the likes of Matson Hlalo are in another camp that is supportive of the beleaguered party leader Tsvangirai.

In essence, the MDC-T has split and Khupe and her group are just biding their time before formally breaking away from Tsvangirai. When Tsvangirai decreed that the party would not field candidates in the June 10 parliamentary by-elections, Khupe and her lot were very unhappy and spoke strongly against the move during a national council meeting in Harare. They argued that the party could not donate the seats to Zanu-PF on a silver platter in its stronghold of Bulawayo.

Their views were brushed aside and Khupe had to endure the humiliation of being harangued by party activists at the Harvest House headquarters while Tsvangirai watched and did nothing. This, some insiders said, was a sign that the hecklers had the tacit blessing of their leader who does not brook any dissent. Khupe and her unhappy backers seem not to have taken the humiliation lying down and at the weekend, made their feelings known by organising the chaos that greeted Tsvangirai in Bulawayo.

Violent clashes erupted between rival factions, forcing Tsvangirai to cancel one of his scheduled rallies in the city. Party activists attacked journalists, with members barring reporters from our sister paper, the Sunday News and ZTV from covering the two rallies that were addressed by Tsvangirai in Pumula and White City Stadium in Pelandaba.

Some of the youths attacked Chronicle chief photographer Eliah Saushoma and threatened him for taking pictures outside White City Stadium. Tsvangirai was forced to cancel his third rally scheduled for Luveve, with reports that some youths had been camped at the venue since morning, drinking alcohol and preparing to stage a demonstration against the party’s decision not to participate in the 10 June by-elections.

Tsvangirai was in the city calling on his members to boycott the elections in what he has termed the “no reforms, no elections” slogans. At the Pumula rally, which itself was poorly attended, youths aligned to the party’s acting provincial chairperson, Dorcas Sibanda, allegedly threatened another group that was said to be belonging to Khupe.

In excerpts of his address caught from outside the Pumula rally venue, Tsvangirai blamed the factional wars on provincial party leaders, who he said were not playing their role of uniting the party. “It’s your leaders who are causing all these problems. I must warn them that we’ll deal with anyone we discover is fanning factionalism because it isn’t good for the party,” he said.

We can only say good luck to Tsvangirai as he appears to have a Herculean task of peppering over the widening cracks in his party. He has lost the confidence of his deputy and history seems to be repeating itself all over again. Khupe should have learnt from the events which preceded the first and second splits of the MDC where former secretary generals Professor Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti had to break away from the party. Both accused the MDC-T leader of dictatorial tendencies and flouting the party’s constitution with reckless abandon just to push through his point of view.

Again Tsvangirai used violence to subdue his opponents and Khupe is best advised to watch her back. The MDC-T leader will not hesitate to unleash his “boys dzaMudhara” (the old man’s boys) militia on her if she continues to undermine him at every turn. Khupe should also be reminded that Tsvangirai sees himself as the very embodiment of the opposition movement in Zimbabwe and woe betide anyone who dares challenge his authority.

Since she cannot win the war she has started with her boss, the honourable thing for her is to throw in the towel. Resigning will see her leaving the party with a modicum of respect and integrity.