MDC supporters chase away Tsvangirai

MDC supporters chase away Tsvangirai

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By Lebo Nkatazo

ZIMBABWE'S embattled opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai made a dash for his life in the rural outpost of Lupane when he was set upon by his own party's youths, reports said Tuesday.

Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has split into two factions following his opposition to a decision of the party's national council to field candidates in senate elections later this month.

His colleagues accused him of being a "dictator in the making", and vowed they would never work with him -- sparking a battle for the control of the party.

The group which advocates participation in the senate is said to be led by the MDC's secretary general, Professor Welshman Ncube.

Tsvangirai has addressed several rallies in Mashonaland to try and convince the party's supporters to snub the senate elections, and deliver a blow to his internal opponents.

On his first visit to Matabeleland North, he addressed low-key rallies in Victoria Falls and Dete amid claims that people were bussed in from other areas to boost numbers. Sekai Holland, one of his supporters, confirmed buses were used although she claimed it was due to a change of venue.

Reports say Tsvangirai's road show hit turbulence in Lupane, about 150km west of the second largest city of Bulawayo -- an area where his party has won every election since formation in 1999.

The Bulawayo Chronicle newspaper reported that Tsvangirai was chased away by MDC youths who had "camped” at Somhlolo Stadium to stop their leader from speaking.

Apparently, no one else turned up for the rally.

“Tsvangirai was sent scurrying when a group of youths came rushing to his car, threatening to beat him up," the paper quoted an MDC member as saying.

"He was parked by the garage near the main Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway to gauge the mood of the people of Lupane.

“But before he could do anything, youths came running from the stadium and wanted to beat him up. When he (Tsvangirai) saw them coming, he quickly jumped into his car and they sped away towards Bulawayo.”

Some of the youths were said to have followed his entourage up to St Luke’s to make sure that it did not return to Lupane.

“The message to him was loud and clear: He is not welcome here in Matabeleland with his anti-Senate views,” said a high-ranking member of the MDC.

Tsvangirai’s spokesman, William Bango, said the MDC leader did not flee Lupane.

“There was no plan to address a rally in Lupane. The only rally was at Dete. After addressing that rally he (Tsvangirai) left.”

Paul Themba Nyathi, the MDC's spokesman on Tuesday responded to claims by one of Tsvangirai's lieutenants, Sekai Holland, that the pro-senate faction had organised violence against the MDC leader.

Nyathi said: "We are on record as urging the president of the party to dismantle all institutions of violence and also to reprimand the youths who made it their habit to denounce in violent terms and ethnic coded terms or manner those who hold the view that was endorsed by the national council on 12 October 2005.

"In the light of this, no youths were deployed from the Bulawayo office to disrupt meetings that should have occurred in Victoria Falls, Hwange and Lupane."

Observers say Tsvangirai has struggled to find any support in the party's traditional stronghold of Matabeleland -- although he managed to lure Makokoba MP Thokozani Khupe and national executive member, Getrude Mthombeni, to his camp.

Observers say Tsvangirai is unlikely to succeed in mobilising people to his rallies in Matabeleland as this was normally done through the party's structures in those districts -- and all of them disagreed with his stance.

The pro-senate faction has registered 26 candidates for the November 26 senate poll.
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