MDC-T Iron lady Theresa Makone (pictured right) has fallen out of grace with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and there are attempts to sideline her together with other members of the “Kitchen Cabinet” ahead of the party’s watershed Congress next month, authoritative sources have said.

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Makone falls from grace

Comment & Analysis
BY PATIENCE NYANGOVE MDC-T Iron lady Theresa Makone (pictured right) has fallen out of grace with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and there are attempts to sideline her together with other members of the “Kitchen Cabinet” ahead of the party’s watershed Congress next month, authoritative sources have said.

Theresa, together with her husband Ian, who is Tsvangirai’s Chief of Staff, are said to have developed “incompatible personal differences” with the Prime Minister in the past few months.

At one time, the couple were said to be too close to Tsvangirai for the comfort of other party members, who accused them of making most of the crucial decisions that affected the party.

 

As a result of the differences, said the sources, there is huge plot in the party to replace Makone as the party’s women’s assembly chaiperson, with long-serving party member and MP for Dzivarasekwa Evelyn Masaiti.

“Relations between Tsvangirai and the Makones have gone sour,” said one source. “So there are some senior party members capitalising on it. They no longer want them to hold senior positions in the party. All along there was a feeling that they were imposed on the people because they have money.”

Masaiti yesterday could neither deny nor confirm that she was going to contest Makone.“I feel that if people want me to take up the position then I will take it,” said Masaiti. “I will take whatever position people want me to lead.”

Apart from having personal difference with Tsvangirai, sources said, Makone has lost support because of her infamous visit to the dungeons to see Presidential Affairs Minister and Zanu PF politburo member Didymus Mutasa’s son last year.

This is despite that there are so many other MDC-T activists that have been arrested but she never visited them.

The other problem, said the sources, Makone is viewed as too elitist and divorced from ordinary women in the party.

Makone and other members of the kitchen cabinet are said to be fighting strongly against the planned coup ahead of the April congress, expected to be attended by 5 000 people in Bulawayo.

Repeated efforts to get a comment from Makone were fruitless as she kept hanging up her mobile phone.

Several other senior party members are also being challenged.

The Standard also understands that Tabitha Khumalo has expressed interests in contesting Thokozani Khupe for the party’s vice-presidency.

For the second time Ian Makone will compete against Finance Minister Tendai Biti for the post of secretary general while former trade unionist, Lucia Matibenga will battle it out with Lovemore Moyo for the national chairmanship.

The party’s deputy organising secretary, Morgan Komichi, Minister of Water Resources Development and Management, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo and one Gift Mabhena are said to be eyeing the post of organising secretary, currently held by former Energy Minister Elias Mudzuri.

But party spokesperson, Chamisa said no nominations have been done yet for national posts as they are still busy with those for lower structures first.