Masvingo Mayor Hurbert Fidze and all other MDC-T sitting councilors will not be standing in the forthcoming elections after being shown the exit door during the party’s primary elections.

This is despite the process of choosing the candidates being marred by irregularities which raised discord among the rank and file of the country’s main opposition party with members nearly exchanging blows during the candidate selection process.

Insiders said the selection of prospective councillors was supposed to be done by consensus but it all degenerated into chaos after mobs thronged the party’s headquarters even though they were not invited for the event.

MDC-T Masvingo district secretary general, Faustino Murambatsvina, was manhandled by party supporters who accused him of bussing people from rural areas to vote for his preferred urban candidate.

Masvingo district chairperson, Murangamwa Chanyau, dismissed complaints on the process and claims of handling, saying losers are often bitter.

“We have called for consensus and it was done amicably. We looked at who has the people and that was the person we went for. We are guided by the template but at the end of the day, people have the final say,” said Chanyau.

He said when candidate selection is done by consensus, only the aspiring candidates in the wards sit and agree on who should stand but should they fail to agree, the party would go for primaries.

Out of the 10 wards in Masvingo Urban, wards 1, 2, 5, 7, 8 and 9 were decided – albeit controversially – with new names like Selina Maridza, Collen Maboke, Alex Mupfugami, Tafara Masimba and Martin Mureri coming on board.

Other four wards were left to be decided on another day as tempers continued to flare during the selection process.