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Midlands Correspondent
AS the drama in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) over the control of the party continues to unfold, the party’s Midlands South executive has pledged its support to party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai. The provincial leadership also suspended its treasurer, former Gweru Urban legislator, Rodrick Rutsvara, who was part of the members who attended a meeting at Mandel Training Centre in Harare over the weekend which resolved to suspend party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai and seven senior party officials.

Deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma, youth leader Promise Mkhwananzi, Jacob Mafume and Last Maengahama who had been suspended by the Tsvangirai faction, were reinstated by the faction members who attended the Mandel meeting.

A party truck which was in Rutsvara’s possession was subsequently repossessed and is now parked at Midlands Hotel which is owned by Gweru mayor, Hamutendi Kombayi.

In distancing themselves from the Biti faction, the party’s provincial chairperson, Lillian Acropol, said the grouping which suspended Tsvangirai is out of touch with reality on the ground.

She said lower structures in the province were in support of Tsvangirai.
“The MDC-T in Midlands South distances itself from the rebellious group led by Tendai Biti and calls the utterances it made with regards to the president of the party, a non starter and non event. The rebels are out of touch with the reality on the ground in this province as all the lower party structures of the party are intact and in support of the founding president.

“As a province we are solidly behind the leadership of president Morgan Richard Tsvangirai and reaffirm our commitment to save the party under his leadership. We view this as a desperate way by a group of failed politicians who, in any manner have lost the mandate and respect of the generality of the MDC family,” said Acropol.

The provincial chairperson confirmed the suspension of Rutsvara whom she said was temporarily relieved of his duties when he stopped attending the party’s executive meetings soon after losing to Sesel Zvidzai during the party’s primary elections ahead of last year’s July 31 harmonised elections.

Meanwhile, MDC-T supporters in Kwekwe staged a demonstration in Mbizo to denounce the legislator for the constituency, Settlement Chikwinya, who is working with the party’s renewal team.

The supporters were in support of their embattled leader, Tsvangirai and said they were pushing for Chikwinya’s resignation as Mbizo MP.
They said they want a by-election in the constituency, dismissing Chikwinya as a former MDC-T member.

Apart from Tsvangirai, the renewal team also suspended the party’s deputy Thokozani Khupe, MDC-T national chairperson Lovemore Moyo and his deputy Morgan Komichi, organising secretary Nelson Chamisa and his deputy Abednico Bhebhe together with spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora.