Mutambara throws down gauntlet to Tsvangirai

Mutambara throws down gauntlet to Tsvangirai

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By Staff Reporter

ARTHUR Mutambara, the leader of a faction of Zimbabwe's main opposition party has ratcheted up the rhetoric against the other group led by Morgan Tsvangirai, saying they must "repent, be punished and join the party as followers".

His utterances at a meeting of the Movement for Democratic Change's (MDC) provincial officials in Harare Sunday will do little to bring together the two feuding camps.

In his first and most direct attack on Tsvangirai, who has led the party since formation, Mutambara thundered: "If Tsvangirai wants to be president of Zimbabwe he should come through Mutambara, after competing with me. I have confidence I can destroy him. When I said he was my hero I didn’t mean that I was scared of him…We do not want to be responsible for the demise of opposition politics in Zimbabwe…”

In his leadership acceptance speech in February, Mutambara hailed Tsvangirai as a hero and pledged to work with him to unite the MDC. In interviews last week, he still insisted that "we should give unity a chance".

However, Tsvangirai and his advisers have said Mutambara would be welcome as long as he accepts that Tsvangirai is the "legitimate leader" of the MDC.

Mutambara's patience could be thinning, by the tone of his weekend address.

He said: "Since there are others that also claim to be the MDC, we respect the disagreements, but they must repent and become followers. The issue of the party’s name and properties will end with re-unification of the MDC based on values. If that fails, then the courts will decide.

"If Tsvangirai refuses we can go it alone. I am not afraid of Tsvangirai, he thinks when I said he is my hero I am afraid of him."

Tsvangirai's group will hold their congress this weekend, where he is set to be retained as leader. His group have to fill other positions left vacant by some of his senior colleagues who are backing Mutambara.

The MDC's former European representative, Grace Kwinjeh, is said to be gunning for the information and publicity portfolio currently held by Nelson Chamisa, with Tapiwa Mashakada and Tendai Biti set to fight it out for the secretary general's position.

Tsvangirai's officials say they expect up of 10 000 people to attend.

Later on Sunday, Mutambara will address his first public rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo.
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