Staff Reporter
Internal squabbles in the MDC-Alliance Bulawayo Province continue to rock that party with warring factions celebrating the belated 22nd anniversary separately.
A faction led by the MDC-Alliance Bulawayo Provincial Chairperson, James Sithole reportedly held their belated celebrations at House number 693 Gwabalanda in Bulawayo, a house which belongs to Luveve Constituency Co-ordinating Committee member, Frank Fuyani, while the other faction led by Helen Zivira was housed at the MDC-Alliance Provincial Headquarters where Zivira as the faction leader, was the speaker.
According to a source within the opposition party, MDC-Alliance Organising Secretary, Amos Chibaya directed Provincial Secretary Enerst Rafamoyo to call off the Sithole faction event, as he is allegedly aligned to the Zivira faction. Chibaya reportedly said the Sithole faction’s gathering was ounterproductive. Ironically, Sithole is the legitimate Provincial Chairperson.
The source said Rafamoyo told Chibaya that Ziviri’s faction gathering was the one that was illegal as the Provincial Executive Committee had resolved that celebrations be held at district level like what
Sithole and team were doing.
According to the source, the MDC-Alliance Vice President, Professor Welshman Ncube later intervened after Chibaya insisted, refusing to entertain Rafamoyo’s position. Ncube accused Chibaya of supporting Ziviri and fuelling factionalism in the plagued Bulawayo Province.
Ncube then reportedly directed Sithole to convene an urgent PEC meeting with a view to reading a riot act to Ziviri and company.
The MDC Alliance is failing to agree on the course of action to take on the troublesome Bulawayo Province as some National Executive Council (NEC) members want Sithole led executive to remain in
charge while others are pushing for the dissolution of the entire provincial structure.
MDC-Alliance Vice President (Lynnette) Karenyi Kore once suggested that the entire structure be dissolved and be replaced by a four member interim committee. Other members such as Welshman
Ncube and Organising Secretary Amos Chibaya are, however, against the dissolution of the entire structure. They want the executive led by Sithole to remain in place until the next restructuring exercise.
According to the source, the Tabitha Khumalo faction is in support of an interim committee to be led by one of their own, probably Zivira, Swirthern Chiroodza or Tinashe Kambarami.
