Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) founding president, Morgan Tsvangirai, has lifted the suspension of senior party members following a fracas in Zimbabwe in which MDC-T vice president Thokozani Khupe was assaulted by some party supporters after a fall out over the MDC Alliance.
In a statement, presidential spokesperson and director of communications in Tsvangirai’s office, Luke Tamborinyoka, said the MDC-T leader suspended the suspension of organizing secretary and Nkayi legislator Abednico Bhebhe and deputy treasurer general Charlton Hwende.
“The action by president Tsvangirai to rescind the suspensions will allow the party to focus on the key business of redirecting all energies towards voter registration and winning the elections next year,” said Tamborinyoka.
The two senior leaders were suspended following disturbances that took place at the party’s Bulawayo provincial office in August 2017. Khupe suffered some minor injuries in the attack at the meeting, which was attended by Bhebhe, party chairman Lovemore Moyo and several other members, who have expressed reservations over the opposition alliance, designed to remove Mugabe and his ruling Zanu PF party.
Khupe and her colleagues are arguing that the MDC Alliance is marginalizing the MDC-T in Bulawayo and other regions where most parliamentary and council seats will be allegedly set aside for Professor Welshman Ncube’s other MDC formation.
Bhebhe and Hwende were not available for comment.
At the same time, Tamborinyoka said vice president Khupe on Monday “paid a courtesy call on her boss party president Tsvangirai, who returned home last Friday.”
The two have been having strained relations following their clash over the formation of the MDC Alliance, which comprises several parties.
Tsvangirai was in South Africa receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment. It's not clear whether he was getting treatment for colon cancer.