THE opposition MDC Alliance is panicking over suspicions of infiltration within its structures by suspected State agents to destabilise the party. BY MOSES MATENGA A leaked audio recording by the MDC Alliance Bulawayo provincial women’s assembly chairlady Tendai Masotsha has sent the party into panic mode, with senior party officials saying there were fears that she was working in cahoots with people that were believed to have abducted Midlands State University (MSU) student Tawanda Muchehiwa in July this year. In the audio, Masotsha made sensational claims that Muchehiwa and 20 others were plotting to bomb government buildings ahead of the July 31 protests. Her allegations angered MDC Alliance activists and those linked to Muchehiwa who blasted the opposition party for allegedly protecting Masotsha despite “overwhelming evidence” that she was working with State agents and participated in the abduction of the MSU media student. The MDC Alliance last week exonerated Masotsha for her alleged role in the abduction of Muchehiwa. In the leaked audio, Masotsha alleged that she told the MDC Alliance presidential affairs secretary Jameson Timba that if she felt cornered, she would end up revealing the “plans” to bomb government buildings. “Ndakamutaurira Timba kuti vakaramba vachindiisa mukona ndinotaura zvese kuti vaida kuita bomb government buildings uye kuti ane vanhu 20 vaida kumubetsera (I told Timba that if they continue pushing me I will reveal everything including their plans to bomb government buildings. Tawanda told me he had 20 other people who were to help him do that),” Masotsha claimed in the audio. The exoneration of Masotsha raised a lot of dust with Muchehiwa’s family and several other people accusing the opposition party of protecting her. In a related matter, Masotsha tendered her resignation last night. In her resignation letter, Masotsha said the Muchehiwa issue had placed her life and that of her family into great risk, adding that as a result she has decided to take a sabbatical from active politics. “It has been increasingly clear to me that my case has become a distraction to the real challenges that my party, MDC Alliance has to confront in its political struggles against Zanu PF on behalf of the long-suffering Zimbabweans. It is important that I step aside from active politics so as to allow the party to focus on its core business of opposing Zanu PF and mobilising the people against a system that has caused them immeasurable suffering. “In the circumstances, I am taking an indefinite sabbatical from my position as chairperson of the MDC Alliance Bulawayo province’s women’s assembly. I hope in doing so, the party will be enabled to refocus on the urgent political tasks,” she said. MDC Alliance secretary-general Chalton Hwende confirmed that Masotsha had resigned.