"MATONGO RE-BUILT THE PARTY AFTER THE SPLIT!" MDC

MDC says Matongo rebuilt the party after split


By Our Correspondent

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HARARE, May 3, 2007- The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says the death of national chairman Isaac Matongo early on Wednesday had robbed them of a dedicated cadre who held the party together after internal squabbles led to a split two years ago. Matongo, 60, died in his sleep at his Chisipite home in Harare. He is suspected to have died of a heart attack. His deputy, Lovemore Moyo said Matango was a committed member who did not hesitate to act when the need for action arose. “We’re all shocked by this sad development. “We are shocked that a man who had been well all along can simply die in his sleep. Indeed in Matongo, we have lost a cadre who was committed to his work and never looked back when demanded to tackle problems,” Moyo said.


He highlighted that Matongo’s greatest contribution to the MDC saw him hold fort at the height of the internecine conflict that led to the opposition party’s split on October 12, 2005.



Moyo said Matongo worked tirelessly to recreate the structures after the split, and took over several roles to hold the party together, single-handedly.



“He is the man who ran the organization (the MDC) after we parted ways with our colleagues on October 12, 2005. He was literally the re-organizing secretary, the national chairman, acting secretary-general, acting treasurer, and organizer of the party.



“Matongo enjoyed his work and was indeed a man whom we could all rely on, and it is indeed with a heavy heart that we have learnt of his death,” Moyo said.



Condolence messages continued to pour in as news of Matongo’s death spread. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union, (ZCTU) said Matongo’s death was a serious blow to efforts to propel Zimbabwe into a democratically-governed nation.



ZCTU secretary-general, Wellington Chibebe said: “Matongo’s loss is a loss not only to the MDC but indeed to the whole nation. He was an illustrious son of the soil and the country’s labour movement indeed joins the nation in mourning Matongo.”



Born in Masvingo, Matongo became member of the ZCTU after Zimbabwe attained independence. Subsequently, the National Engineering Workers’ Union (NEWU) elected him vice-president in 1988. He then served as the vice-president of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) together with Morgan Tsvangirai who was then the ZCTU secretary-general. Tsvangirai is now president of the MDC.



Matongo played a pivotal role in the conception and formation of the MDC in 1999.



Matongo, together with other labour and civic leaders, convened the historic All Working National Peoples’ Convention in 1999, which gave birth to the MDC to resolve the ever-deepening crisis in Zimbabwe . Matongo was elected the founding national chairman, a position he held at the time of his death.



Matongo was married to Evelyn Masaiti, the former MDC MP for Mutasa. Masaiti said she heard her husband groan in pain and gasping for breath in the early hours of Wednesday. He is suspected to have suffered a heart attack.

Matongo is likely to be buried in his home area in Masvingo at a date to be confirmed. Moyo said: “Some of the relatives are yet to be informed. Those that have gathered in Harare have resolved that Matongo be laid to rest in Masvingo at the family home.


“We hope that all will go according to plan and that we will not have any hitches. As for now, we await the post-mortem so that we can get to understand what could have taken his life.”