“Like any other party, MDC-T has the right to set dates for its congress when it suits us. We are in a routine organising process. People mistake organisational processes for congress,” Chamisa told The Zimbabwean in an exclusive interview.
Chamisa said the exercise was a process, not an event, and would penetrate all sectors of the party – covering its institutions, revival, liberalisation and expansion of the women’s league as well as issues to do with fund raising and radicalisation of the Youth Assembly.
Calls by some disgruntled members for an early special congress to reshuffle the leadership have been described as wild ambitions. Top officials such as exiled Roy Bennett, Iain Kay, Elias Mudzuri and Elton Mangoma have reportedly called for leadership audit and renewal, following the heavy defeat suffered by MDC-T at the hands of Zanu (PF) in July 2013.
President Morgan Tsvangirai has been blamed for the party’s failure to remove President Robert Mugabe and Zanu (PF) from power through the ballot in six successive elections.
Tsvangirai has vowed not to step down before Zimbabwe has become ‘truly democratic’. The former GNU Prime Minister is on record encouraging party members to discuss the succession plan as ‘succession issues are not taboo in a democracy’.
Tsvangirai commands massive support among the grassroots who regard him as the face of MDC-T. Observers have advised MDC-T to consider revamping its leadership in order to pose serious challenges against Zanu (PF) in future elections. The party is set to hold its elective congress in 2016, two years before the 2018 harmonised elections.
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