BY MOSES MATENGA THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) yesterday distanced itself from MDC-T’s extraordinary congress, delivering a blow to the beleaguered party which was seeking to associate itself with the largest labour movement in the country as internal fissures widened over alleged fraud by its interim secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora. Some party members want Mwonzora suspended for dipping into the party coffers and allegedly “siphoning” $300 000 ahead of the congress where he will battle it out with Thokozani Khupe , party interim chairperson Morgen Komichi and his deputy Elias Mudzuri. The opposition party, largely formed out of the labour movement, on Monday said it met the ZCTU leadership to sign a code of conduct among other things, but the country’s biggest labour union delivered the jab yesterday, saying it won’t be part of the congress. The ZCTU presided over the MDC Alliance congress in 2018, where Nelson Chamisa won the presidency. “The ZCTU is not involved in the MDC-T extraordinary congress. We were never approached,” ZCTU said in a statement. “ZCTU, as a labour movement, has members across the political divide and individuals like deputy secretary-general Thomas Masvingwe are participating in their individual capacities as supporters of their party.” The MDC-T extraordinary congress is set for this Saturday subject to police and health authorities’ approval, but suspended national organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe has approached the courts seeking its postponement. The party is also battling internal fissures, with some officials calling for Mwonzora’s suspension for allegedly abusing party funds. Mwonzora on Monday admitted taking the money, but said it was used to pay a lawyer, Sarudzayi Chitsanga, who had a bereavement, adding that the party owed its lawyers, engaged to fight MDC Alliance, US$100 000. But party members claimed that there was no signed requisition for the money, accusing Mwonzora of withdrawing the funds working with party director of finance Todd Maingire without the knowledge of other leaders. A party member, Leonard Chisvo, who has already reported Mwonzora to the police, was fuming yesterday calling for the secretary-general’s suspension. Chisvo told journalists yesterday that there were fears that some officials were creating their own structures and demanded the immediate suspension of Mwonzora. “The party received $7,8 million from the Political Parties Finance Act in May this year, and also received another batch of $161 million recently. There has been much concern over the abuse of party funds in MDC-T. There have never been any party programmes funded by the party, but the money has just been abused,” he said. “Recently, Mwonzora embezzled $300 000 from the party's BancABC account and it was not authorised nor accounted for.” Chisvo said Mwonzora gave the loot to his personal lawyer and his presidential campaign manager for the MDC-T's forthcoming extraordinary congress, adding that his behaviour should not escape punishment. “Obviously, there was converge