The Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) is currently engaged in a back-and-forth game, with the interim spokesperson claiming party leader Mqondisi Moyo must either accept that he is no longer their president or humble himself and apologise to members.
After the National Executive Committee (NEC) was dissolved by party members on Monday, the leadership led Moyo branded those behind their purported expulsion as power hungry and insisted the party president remained in control of the party.
In response, the interim spokesperson, Mbonisi Gumbo said although they understood that Moyo “has been a president of MRP for 10 years” he has to come to terms “with the fact that he is no longer president.”
“The other mistake Moyo is making is thinking that he still has the power to serve his dwindling political career,” Gumbo said. “We have noted the lies and propaganda he is making, and we forgive him for that.”
Gumbo claimed that MRP no longer wants Moyo as their leader because he acts unilaterally and holds all key positions in the party.
“Enough is Enough, his total disregard for party structures and acting alone as the president, treasurer and secretary general is unacceptable,” he said.
“The only way Cde Mqondisi Moyo can save his political career is for him to humble himself, apologise to party members and stop the lies that will come back to hurt him.”
“He tells people that Cde Mbonisi Gumbo is Shona but that same Mbonisi is his uncle, and he is Moyo. Who is he? Needless to state that it was Cde Gumbo who imposed Mqondisi Moyo as President and convinced everyone to accept him. Why didn’t he tell people then that Gumbo was Shona?”
Gumbo said Moyo has been warned multiple times not to use propaganda, to stop making threats against other members and not to use foul language.
“Cde Mqondisi Moyo has done a lot of harm to Cdes in the party,” he said. “We don’t want to talk about that, so should he. We give him until Saturday, September 30, 2023, to withdraw all the suspension letters, tell the truth about Cde Mbonisi Gumbo standing in the party and allow the Cdes to choose the NEC failure of which on Sunday, the party’s members will elect New Leadership and there won’t be any reverse.”
Reached for comment, Moyo said has no time to respond to “petty claims by individuals who were representing facts to suit their agendas.”
“I remain focused on the enemy which is Zanu PF and I am not fighting anyone. They want me to apologise, apologise for what? They are angry that we exposed their lies where they claimed they have people who support them yet we have audios of members who are not part of them and we even held a meeting on Wednesday as NEC,” Moyo said.
However, Gumbo said Moyo must disabuse himself from the thought that he alone makes up MRP.
“MRP will function better without him and must come to terms with the fact that he is no longer MRP president,” he said.
“Cde Mqondisi Moyo does not have the support of Matabeleland South, North, Midlands or Bulawayo neither does he have any support in our diaspora structures except of course few individuals in South Africa.”
Gumbo added that no one was fired from MRP including Moyo and those “well-meaning former NEC members will be retained in leadership” but those who have failed will have to start from the branches.
“Cde Mqondisi Moyo brought his downfall upon himself,” he said. “He is not a victim in all this, he doesn’t understand what is called Comradeship for that reason we will need to teach him leadership lessons and comradeship.
“Many people are hurt out there. They gave their all to him and in support of him, but when it was convenient for him, he threw them under the bus. Cdes like Mxolisi Mhlanga, Mbonisi Gumbo, Ngulube, Mqondisi Ndebele, Cliford Sibanda, Njabulo Ngwenya, among others, including some Lawyers and Businesspeople in South Africa, Bornman Khumalo are some of the people that Cde Mqondisi Moyo has the guts today to call CIOs and Zanu PF sellouts. What an insult? We repeat again our clarion call MRP is open for everybody.”
Gumbo added: “For these and other reasons his time is up bye bye Cde Moyo we wish you well in your new endeavours. MRP is not an individual’s private entity.”
