Source: The ManicaPost
THE MDC-T Women Assembly Manicaland executive members and representatives from the 26 constituencies in the province have resigned from the Morgan Tsvangirai camp and joined the Tendai Biti-led Renewal Team on the grounds of persistent violation of women's rights and bed-hopping behaviour of the party's leadership.

They said Mr Tsvangirai was violating women's rights and dignity by wantonly impregnating their folk and splashing party funds to pay maintenance, damages as well as embarking on romantic trips.

Addressing journalists at a Press conference held at the party's office in Darlington, Mutare, on Wednesday, they said there was a leadership crisis in the MDC-T.

"When we formed this party in 1999, we said 'no' to violence and corruption, but such vices are now prevalent in our party. Our leaders are now at the forefront of perpetrating such crimes. As women, we constitute 52 percent of the population and we have the biggest say in how our country should be run.

"Our leaders are impregnating some of us in total disregard of our dignity. Tsvangirai is using our money to pamper his girlfriends.
"There is gross misuse of our funds and the imposition of candidates in last year's elections," said Mrs Lina Mutape, who is the chairperson for Mutasa South constituency.

She said the failure by the leadership to solve internal disputes led them to follow a new route.
"We are now joining the Renewal Team because we formed it after realising that Tsvangirai was failing to put the house in order."

Executive members who were present include Patricia Makamesa, Jeniffer Jamu, Clara Katupira, Lizzy Zvimba and Thokoza Bote.
Two weeks ago, MDC-T Manicaland Youth Assembly members deserted the party and joined the Renewal Team citing the use of organised intra-party violence and the imposition of party candidates among a litany of reasons.

They said they were exercising their constitutional and democratic right to disassociate themselves from Mr Tsvangirai's party.
Those who crossed the floor are Dennis Simango (provincial chairman), Maxwell Mudhluri (deputy chair), Naome Baison (deputy secretary), Yeukai Mutangadura (treasurer), Amen Bungu (organising secretary), Cloud Nengomasha (deputy organising secretary), Muriel Rumhungwe (national representative) and Laston Julius (national representative).

"We . . . have met today and unanimously agreed and resolved to, among other things, endorse the Mendel National Council Resolutions in their entirety, exercise our constitutional and democratic right to disassociate from Morgan Tsvangirai (and) officially join our colleagues in the MDC Renewal in pursuit of democratic goals.

"Our reasons for this painful but necessary rupture are the use of organised and sponsored violence against party members by senior members of the party, personalisation of the party, imposition and importation of candidates in the 2013 harmonised elections (and) the party president strongly violated the party constitution by sponsoring and supporting a political party other than MDC (for example) in Makoni Central."

The breakaway members also surrendered the MDC-T party regalia saying they were now taking a different path.
"This should not be a secret and that is why we are doing it in front of everyone. From now on we are going to propagate the Renewal Team's way. A lot of unconstitutional things were done by Tsvangirai which warranted automatic expulsion from the party.

"How can we associate with a party that denounces violence yet party leaders are busy hiring thugs to beat up senior party members?" said Mr Simango.

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