Tsvangirai, Khupe Spar Over Suspension of Bulawayo Party Boss
Tsvangirai gave Bulawayo province the green light to proceed with the suspension of Gorden Moyo, overruling his deputy who had blocked the move on Saturday
WASHINGTON DC — MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has broken ranks with his deputy Thokozani Khupe and endorsed the pending suspension of Bulawayo provincial chairman Gorden Moyo over suspicions he is embedded with the renewal movement. Khupe angered the Bulawayo party leadership on Saturday when she stormed an meeting to suspend Moyo and derailed proceedings, prompting the province to seek an urgent audience with Tsvangirai. A meeting between the MDC-T leader and Bulawayo provincial organizing secretary Albert Mhlanga was held in Harare on Monday where Tsvangirai reportedly expressed regret over Khupe’s conduct and gave the province his blessings to proceed with its sanctions against Moyo. "The people of Bulawayo were disappointed by the behavior of the deputy president, but we went to report the matter to the president of the party and he has given us the permission to go ahead," Mhlanga said. "We will sit down on Friday as a province and resolve... and suspend Moyo." Trouble for Moyo, a Member of Parliament for Makokoba reached tipping point last week when his constituents loyal to Tsvangirai convened a meeting and passed a vote of no confidence in him. Studio 7 was not able to reach Khupe for comment. But observers say the Bulawayo bickering reflects the fierce factional wars currently ravaging the party. Some say the incident could mark the beginning of a fallout between Khupe and Tsvangirai that could see the Khupe losing the party vice presidency at the October elective congress.