MDC-UK and Ireland congress set for Saturday

By Tichaona Sibanda
20 February 2008

Popular MDC activist Elliot Pfebve has emerged as the leading candidate to win the chairmanship of the MDC-UK and Ireland executive during Saturday’s extraordinary congress in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

Pfebve, the MDC parliamentary candidate for Bindura central in 2000, was left for dead after he was severely tortured for contesting against the Zanu-PF candidate, the late Border Gezi.

Pfebve faces a strong challenge from another candidate, Jonathan Chawora, a former Assistant Commissioner with the Zimbabwe Republic Police. Both are formidable candidates who enjoy immense support from MDC activists in the UK.

Kester Mutambanengwe, the MDC spokesperson for the interim organising committee led by John Nyamande, said the main purpose of Saturday’s extraordinary congress was to elect new office bearers’ for the UK provincial executive.

The last elected executive led by former trade unionist Ephraim Tapa was dissolved in October last year, after 33 of 37 UK branches passed a vote of no confidence in them. The MDC national chairman Lovemore Moyo oversaw that process. Moyo will be back Saturday leading a team comprising the new national women’s assembly leader Theresa Makone, who is the Harare North MDC parliamentary candidate. Also in the delegation to oversee the election here is national youth chairman Thamsanqa Mahlangu who is challenging Gibson Sibanda for the Bulawayo parliamentary seat in Nkulumane.

Mutambanengwe said 26 branches will each send 10 delegates to the congress to elect new members by secret ballot. This is the first time that voting has been carried out by secret ballot at any of the UK congresses since 2000.

‘This is a mammoth task, but we have put everything in place to ensure a smooth electoral process. We have many aspiring contestants vying for various posts. The posts include that of a secretary, organising secretary, treasurer, information and publicity secretary and a women’s wing chairperson,’ Mutambanengwe said.