Former MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s close ally, Norest Marara, has become the first person to openly challenge Douglas Mwonzora for the party presidency ahead of the congress.
Marara reportedly facilitated the purchase of two of Tsvangirai’s vehicles in 2011 and was arrested on charges of smuggling them through Beitbridge Border Post.
He is currently the party’s secretary for special projects and party business in the national executive as well as head of finance and administration.
However, the MDC-T standing committee is reportedly expected to reject Marara’s candidature at its meeting on Wednesday.
NewsDay reported sources in Mwonzora’s camp as saying that there will be an attempt to block Marara’s candidature in the standing committee. Said the sources:
The party failed to suspend Marara, but it is now looking forward to barring him from contesting for the presidency. Our president, Mwonzora fears defeat by the popular Marara. Marara is popular with the structures.
In a statement, the party’s Harare provincial spokesperson Collen Chavengwa said Marara did not qualify to contest for the MDC presidency on the grounds that he “has never served in any capacity in any of the 24 districts in Harare”.
Marara told NewsDay on Sunday that he had served the party for more than five years. He added:
I am also the founding member of the party and, therefore, I meet the constitutionally-required criteria. I have served the party for more than five years.
Marara contested the Harare Central constituency as the MDC Alliance candidate in the 26 March by-elections but lost to CCC’s Murisi Zvizwai.