Record attendance as Nyandoro goes on trial

Some 1 000 MDC-T supporters and sympathisers thronged the magistrate’s court here last week as the mayor, Farai Nyandoro, and 15 other party activists went on trial for allegedly participating in an intra-party scuffle.

Nyandoro
Nyandoro

The 16 appeared in court before Marondera Magistrate, Josephine Sande, after spending five days at Marondera District Police Station holding cells. Nyandoro was accused of inciting the scuffle which left some party officials bruised.

Granting the suspects $300 bail each, the magistrate said nothing suggested the suspects were a flight risk.

Observers said the scuffle was as a result of party power struggle in Mashonaland East Province and Marondera Urban. “Through hard work and transparency Nyandoro endeared himself to the residents of Marondera. This did not go down well with some party insiders who suddenly turned jealous,” said an insider.

The provincial executive led by Mbare Member of Parliament, Pinnel Denga, was in a desperate bid to deny Nyandoro the opportunity to contest the next election. Denga received a thorough beating in the scuffle which left party supporters divided into two camps.

A top official at town house said Nyandoro enjoyed “a 90 percent following in Marondera Central”.

The political fate of Nyandoro and the others rests with the party’s national standing committee, expected to make a landmark ruling on whether they should be dismissed.

Through hard work and transparency Nyandoro endeared himself to Marondera residents

“Given the unprecedented Zanu (PF) and police interest in the court case, MDC-T should avoid shooting itself in the foot by taking an uninformed and suicidal ruling regarding the issue. They cannot afford to play into Zanu (PF)’s hands at this hour. People invested their faith in the popular democratic project and no more selfless party cadres should be lost ahead of the harmonised elections,” said Susan Mudenda of Dombotombo.

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