MDC Renewal Team member Settlement Chikwinya says they were betrayed by Elton Mangoma who misled them into leaving Morgan Tsvangirai.
He said Mangoma wanted to use the Renewal Team project to fulfil personal ambitions.
Chikwinya, the former MDC-T MP for Mbizo Central, is one of the 14 ex-legislators recalled from Parliament by the mainstream MDC after he joined the Renewal Team last year in April.
The Renewal project argued that Tsvangirai was no longer a brand because of sex scandals that rocked him ahead of the July 31 2013 elections.
Chikwinya and colleagues argued that the MDC-T leader should cede power and give others the chance because he had failed to lead the party to power since the formation of the movement in 1999.
Mangoma recently walked out of the MDC Renewal and formed another party.
Chikwinya told NewZimbabwe.com in Kwekwe Sunday that, while he had no regrets for leaving MDC-T, the greatest betrayal was Mangoma who used his financial muscle to influence the formation of the MDC Renewal with the intention of advancing his personal ambitions.
“Some of us left MDC-T as a matter of principle but not knowing that some people had personal agendas they wanted to pursue,” said Chikwinya.
“I do not regret leaving Morgan Tsvangirai because I did that as a matter of principle which every democrat would want and support.”
On why, apart from the ‘No-reforms-No-elections stance’, the Renewal Team did not contest in the June 10 by-elections Chikwinya fell short of admitting that they lacked a person of Tsvangirai’s calibre.
He said: “You must understand the nature of our politics since the opposition was born. It was and remains to be personality politics and it was not going to help anyone to get into the race.
“But I am happy to be where I am (MDC Renewal) and, as I am speaking I am coming from Gokwe, where I had gone for the restructuring process and congress preparation arrangements,” said Chikwinya.-NewZimbabwe
