Tsvangirai is in South Africa, where he is receiving treatment for colon cancer.
On Wednesday, Tsvangirai, through his spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka, appointed one of his deputies Nelson Chamisa as the acting president of the party until he returns.
Chamisa who is also the acting president of the coalition MDC Alliance replaced his co-vice president Elias Mudzuri as acting party president.
However, Thokozani Khupe the other co-vice president cried foul saying that she should be acting president instead as she was the only one out of the three vice presidents who had been elected by the party’s congress.
On Thursday morning,party spokesperson Obert Gutu said that Mudzuri was still the acting president, effectively contradicting the appointment of Chamisa.
Gutu’s claim seems to support an unverified communique purportedly from Tsvangirai which dismissed the appointment of Chamisa and declared it null, void and invalid.
“Acting President Mudzuri, I have been advised of communication being circulated within the party and public generally, regarding changes to MDC-T authority levels.This communication is false as I have made no such changes in the roles and responsibilities of the MDC-T Vice Presidents.This letter serves to confirm that the authority I vested in you to act as the President of the MDC-T party still stands and any other pronunciations are null void and invalid,”reads part of the letter.
This is not the first time that Luke Tamborinyoka and Obert Gutu have issued conflicting statements. With Tsvangirai battling colon cancer and considering retirement, the succession battles may just be starting.
Meanwhile Tamborinyoka has called for a press conference today to clarify the confusion.
Post published in: Featured