Own Correspondent|The MDC Bulawayo province failed to hold its provincial assembly on Tuesday as scheduled by the party.

Outgoing deputy provincial spokesperson Edwin Ndlovu said that the party failed to hold its congress as scheduled as it had not yet completed some ward and district elective congresses.

“Each province has a timeline to hold its provincial congress. Bulawayo missed its timeline. We were supposed to hold our provincial congress today (Tuesday) but we still have not completed five ward elections, meaning we cannot do districts before the wards.

Sources within the party indicated that the party’s failure to hold the congress as scheduled did not go down well with Party President Nelson Chamisa who was in the city to attend the congress.

Chamisa held a crisis meeting with members of the provincial executive warning the province that they risk failing to be represented at the National Congress if they don’t put their house in order within the stipulated time.

In the meeting, sources said, Chamisa demanded that his deputy and ally Professor Welshman Ncube, who is facing resistance from the province, be accorded respect.

Party insiders said the MDC leader launched into a tirade over the party’s loss to Zanu-PF at the recent Cowdray Park Ward 28 by-election saying the electoral loss was tantamount to treason.

Chamisa is said to have taken Mr Collet Ndlovu to task for contesting the poll.

Ndlovu confirmed the meeting but downplayed that the MDC Alliance leader threatened to ban Bulawayo province from the congress.

“So the point he was making is that no matter the province, if it fails to set up its structures it will not be allowed to attend the party’s congress which will be held in Gweru in May. So we have up to Saturday to complete setting up our structures and making nominations,” he said.

Ndlovu also refuted claims that Mr Chamisa declared Bulawayo the party’s most violent province.