STATE Enterprises and Parastatals Minister Gorden Moyo has won a deeply divisive vote to chair the MDC-T’s Bulawayo provincial executive.

Police were called to disperse angry supporters of Moyo’s rival, Mzilikazi Senator Matson Hlalo, who claim that many of their number were prevented from voting in last Saturday’s elections.

The violent clashes that followed Moyo’s election prevented voting for other posts which must be filled ahead of the party’s congress set for Bulawayo at the end of April.

Before police stepped in to separate rival supporters at the offices of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Bulawayo Central MP Dorcas Sibanda – an ally of Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe – had won the vote to deputise Moyo, with Luveve MP Reggie Moyo bouncing back as secretary.

Attempts to reconvene on Sunday to complete the elections failed after police indicated their resources were stretched due to the Premier Soccer League match between Highlanders and Masvingo.

The battle for the control of the party in Bulawayo has deeply divided the party, amid claims that party leader Morgan Tsvangirai had thrown his weight behind Hlalo, with Khupe setting her stall with the Moyo camp.

The party recently tried to move goalposts by insisting that only officials who had held a party membership for the last two years could stand for election. The move appeared aimed at disqualifying Moyo, a human rights activist until he was picked for a ministerial post by Tsvangirai in February 2009.

Felix Mafa, the outgoing MDC-T provincial spokesman, claimed in February that Moyo only bought his party membership card in December last year and therefore did not qualify to stand for chairman.

Elections were also held in eight other provinces. In Masvingo, Wilstaf Chitemere claimed victory after polling 463 votes to Bernard Chiondegwa 403 in the race for provincial chairman.

In Midlands South, Lilian Timveous was elected chair while in Matabeleland North Sengezo Tshabangu reprised his position as chairman with former Nkayi North MP Abednico Bhebhe coming in as his deputy.

Provincial elections were also held in Manicaland, Mashonaland East, Matabeleland South and Midlands North, although results were not immediately available.