James Gumbi
Upenyu Chaota
MDC-T Masvingo provincial chairperson James Gumbi has vowed to impose candidates of his choice for the forthcoming local governance and national assembly elections saying no one has the power to stop him.
Gumbi, who claimed that he influenced the late MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai to appoint Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri as vice presidents in 2016, said there is no one who is qualified to tell him what to do when it comes to the selection of candidates to represent the party in the province in the upcoming elections.
Addressing aspiring MPs and councillors at party provincial offices in Rhodene over the weekend following a chaotic candidates selections process a few days before, Gumbi said the buck stopped with him.
He made it clear that no one would make it onto the candidates’ line up without his blessings.
Gumbi seemed to have this courage from the claims he made that he footed the late Tsvangirai’s medical bills as well as influencing the appointment of Chamisa and Mudzuri as VPs.
“If you want to get a post, you have to go through me; the bucks stops with me. I footed Tsvangirai’s medical bills and facilitated him to go to South Africa for treatment. I also influenced the appointment of Chamisa and Mudzuri in 2016,” said Gumbi.
“I have the final say; I’m the one who put the final signature and no one even from national can tell me what to do. Councillor (Daniel) Mberikunashe (Ward 5 Masvingo Urban), if you think you will get an automatic entry because you are close to president Chamisa, think again. The buck stops with me in the province, I will decide,” he added.
Mberikunashe is closely related to MDC-T president Chamisa.
MDC-T Masvingo province is locked in bitter candidate selection processes which has seen the controversial removal of all sitting councillors from the candidates list ahead of the upcoming general elections.
The move threatens to shake the grass root support base of the party, with many people saying the councillors should be allowed to run again or should at least be allowed to take part in fair primaries.top news
