Harare — Traditional MDC-T bedfellows the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Zimbabwe National Students' Union and the National Constitutional Assembly have confirmed that their marriage with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party is on the rocks.

The three organisations made the confession yesterday at an event the NCA styled as its Second People's Constitutional Convention at the Aquatic Complex in Chitungwiza.

The three bodies accused MDC-T of deviating from a resolution it made on its formation at the same venue a decade ago that an independent commission should lead the drafting of a people-driven constitution.

The ZCTU adopted the same resolution at its congress. Addressing delegates, ZCTU president Mr Lovemore Matombo and secretary-general Mr Wellington Chibebe said the relationship with MDC-T had gone sour.

"It is difficult when after you have travelled together for some time, you find your colleague taking a different route. Since September 15 we have not been agreeing at all," said Mr Matombo. He claimed that not all MDC-T supporters wanted their party to participate in the constitution-making process being led by the Parliamentary Select Committee.

Mr Chibebe confirmed the rupture. "We have seen a going in different directions on this journey. Some are indicating left (but are) turning right." He went on to castigate "some of our colleagues". "They (our colleagues) go with the wind," he said in reference to trade unionists who attended the Parliament-led all-stakeholders conference on constitution-making held in Harare recently.

The Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe attended the Harare constitutional indaba and its secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe was present, though briefly, at the Aquatic Complex yesterday.

Mr Majongwe is on record as saying his organisation recognises both processes, and it seems his position has irked the ZCTU, NCA and Zinasu. Zinasu also condemned MDC-T. "They promised 'a people-driven constitution' in 2000. I am not sure if it is the MDC we have today. We have reached a defining moment in our struggle," said Zinasu president Mr Clever Bere. NCA chairman Dr Lovemore Madhuku had no kind words for MDC-T as he lambasted the party for failing to "remove"

President Mugabe. He said: "On the constitution, let us tell Tsvangirai direct that we will not accept the politically-driven process." He claimed to have been "in the trenches" with PM Tsvangirai for 10 years, and attacked MDC-T secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti.

"He is now saying President Mugabe is indispensable. He drinks tea with President Mugabe. This is now the new gospel of the MDC," Dr Madhuku said, in a direct attack on Mr Biti, who has once described the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces as a "Victorian gentleman".

"We will not accept this. We might have fought together, but that is not a licence to write a constitution," fumed Dr Madhuku. MDC was born out of a similar convention in 1999 while PM Tsvangirai was chairman of the NCA before Dr Madhuku.

The NCA, ZCTU and Zinasu have in the past stood solidly by PM Tsvangirai and observers believe that the dissolution of the marriage could have something to do with attempts by the three bodies to "look for relevance in an era where MDC-T is working closely with its former enemies".

One observer at the convention said: "It is a search for relevance. These people made money from opposing President Mugabe and the inclusive Government threatens this lifeline."

Dr Madhuku appealed to the international community to support them financially and morally in their efforts to derail the present constitution-making process. The British, Japanese, Swedish and Dutch embassies were represented at the occasion.

Delegates are said to have slept on empty stomachs with the NCA also struggling to provide some of them with accommodation. Dr Madhuku publicly confirmed the logistical chaos and apologised to the delegates but blamed it on alleged Government interference. While the NCA, ZCTU and Zinasu are holding "constitutional conventions", the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee has since given the Parliamentary Select Committee the green light to use the Kariba draft constitution as a basis for crafting a new constitution.

In joint statement over the weekend, negotiators to the inter-party dialogue from Zanu-PF, MDC-T and MDC said they assented to the document when they signed the GPA on September 15 last year.

"We hereby place it on record that the agreement of the parties was that the Kariba Draft, which was negotiated, agreed to and initiated by all the three parties to the GPA, would be used by the parties through the Parliamentary Select Committee to consult the people on the content of a new constitution," they said.