Staff ReporterTHE MDC-T has suspended its National Organizing Secretary, Abednigo Bhebhe over the violence that took place in Bulawayo early this month where party Vice President, Thokozani Khupe, was allegedly beaten up by party youths.
Khupe was attacked at the party offices after she had convened a meeting of the three Matabeleland Provinces to discuss the signing of the MDC Alliance, which saw President Morgan Tsvangirai enter into an election pact with former party Secretary Generals, Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti and other smaller opposition parties.
She and other party leaders from the Matabeleland region had allegedly snubbed the Harare ceremony in protest over the alliance, which they were apparently against.
MDC-T Presidential Spokesperson and director of Communications, Luke Tamborinyoka, said the decision to suspend Bhebhe had been reached after an extraordinary executive meeting presided over by party President Morgan Tsvangirai in Harare Friday.
“After three hours of deliberations, the executive made the following resolutions; that the national organizing secretary, Abednigo Bhebhe be suspended forthwith following the probe team’s findings that he made statements to the press that put the party into disrepute,” Tamborinyoka said.
Tamborinyoka said Bhebhe’s case was also referred to the party’s National Council for disciplinary action according to the Constitution of the party.
He said the Executive, which received a report from the probe team set up by Tsvangirai to investigate the matter, had also resolved that the party’s Treasurer General, Charlton Hwende, remains suspended.
Hwende was accused of making inflammatory remarks before the chaos in Bulawayo.
All the party youths involved in the skirmishes, among them National Youth Chairperson, Shakespeare Mukoyi, also remain suspended while their matter was also referred to the disciplinary committee.
The party’s national deputy spokesperson, Tabitha Khumalo, who was suspended soon after the disturbances, was however, absolved of any wrong doing and had her suspension lifted.
There have been fissures in the country’ biggest opposition party with serious fears the party could split for the fourth time over differences pertaining to the formation of a united opposition coalition to stand against Zanu PF in the 2018 elections.
Khupe is believed to be leading a faction comprised of leaders from the Matabeleland region, including National Chairman, Lovemore Moyo, who are not happy with the formula of allocating constituencies among the coalescing parties.
