WITH just five months to go to a crucial congress, MDC
leader Nelson Chamisa and his main internal rival, secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora,
are trading blows in an unpredictable, bruising fight to win the heart and soul
of the country’s main opposition party.
Fresh from a solid perfomance in recent elections, Chamisa
appears to bank on a streamrolling campaign strategy coupled with charismatic
oratory skills, while Mwonzora seems determined to match his rival’s charisma
and rhetoric.
At the 2014 congress, Mwonzora dramatically upstaged
Chamisa to win the secretary-general’s position despite having played second
fiddle during the preceding nomination process. Many in the party were however
quick to point out that he was a beneficiary of the late MDC founding president
Morgan Tsvangirai’s benevolence. At the time, they insist, Tsvangirai was
intent on thwarting Chamisa’s rise, viewing him as a potent threat to his grip
on the opposition.
The Zimbabwe Independent is reliably informed that
unilateral executive appointments which Chamisa made this week have torched a
fierce firestorm which is threatening to tear the party apart.
The highly contentious appointments brought in former rebel
MDC secretary-general Welshman Ncube as vice-president and his equally rebellious
successor Tendai Biti, who is now the new-look party’s deputy national
chairperson.
Chamisa also promoted Morgen Komichi to the
vice-presidency, replacing him with Thabitha Khumalo as national party
chairperson. Jacob Mafume, Biti’s acolyte, became the party’s national
spokesperson.
High-ranking MDC sources said in making the appointments
Chamisa dribbled past the National Council (NC) by seeking permission to
integrate Biti and Ncube without specifying which positions they would get.
In the three days that followed the appointments, the party
has been besieged by inter-factional high-octane political activity as camps
burn the midnight oil as they plot to upstage each other.
“The president came to the NC meeting with a mission to
integrate Biti and Ncube into the MDC. He did not say at what levels. The
council gave him permission, thinking they would get junior positions. A week
later, he just informed the council that he was allocating them executive posts
and people were taken aback,” a senior MDC official said.
“In fact, Mwonzora protested against the decision, saying
it was unconstitutional. The party’s constitution stipulates that only the
National Council can make those decisions and not an individual. But the
president insisted that he has power to do so. He did not want further debate
on the issue despite a few disagreements coming from committee members James
Makore and Costa Machingauta,” the source said.
Some disgruntled MDC officials are now threatening to
campaign for Mwonzora ahead of congress.
“We helped him rise to succeed Tsvangirai to the extent
that some even used their money to fund the campaign, yet he even tried to
block them from being MPs. For instance, some members of the vanguard (a
militant youth organisation affiliated to the MDC) have now defected to
Mwonzora,” one source said.
Sources also said deadly Zanu PF-style tribal politics were
at play in the party, with massive disgruntlement percolating the party’s three
Mashonaland provinces as well as Manicaland province amid complaints that
Chamisa’s appointments appeared to favour his home province, Masvingo. Two of
the three vice-presidents, Mudzuri and Komichi, come from Masvingo.Even in
Matabeleland region, Ncube was not a popular choice for the vice-presidency. He
is set to be challenged at congress by Gwanda businessman Bheki Sibanda and
former Magwegwe legislator Felix Magalela Mafa, who are being touted as hot
favourites ahead of the MDC founding secretary-general.
Gift Chimanikire, who is being seconded by Mashonaland
Central province, will contest for the other vice-president’s position. The
three are reportedly aggrieved by Chamisa’s handling of affairs. Chamisa is
however thought to favour Harare central MP Murisi Zwizwai, who is already
being addressed as vice-president in MDC circles, according to sources.
Tuesday’s executive appointments are also understood to
have greatly irked the MDC women’s assembly amid reports its members are
complaining about the lack of gender balance.
“It had earlier been thought either Paurina Mpariwa
(currently deputy secretary-general) or Makone would be appointed but the
president turned them down and this has triggered bitter disagreements from the
women,” one senior MDC official said.
Mwonzora’s camp is also thought to be lining up Gweru
lawyer and legislator Brian Dube to challenge Mafume as party spokesperson
while Binga South MP Joel Gabuza has reportedly expressed interest in the same
position together with Chamisa’s chief election agent in the July 30 general
elections, Jameson Timba.
The battle for the women’s assembly is set to be fought
among Margaret Matienga, Spiwe Banda, Lillian Timveos — all squaring up against
the incumbent Lynette Kore.
In Harare, Glen Norah legislator Wellington Chikombo — who
was Chamisa’s campaign manager during the ill-fated 2014 congress — is
reportedly being groomed to take over from Eric Murayi. Insiders believe Murayi
is being punished for supporting Mwonzora at the 2014 congress.
“In Manicaland province, Chamisa is putting forward his
friend Prosper Mutsenyami (Mutasa North MP) to challenge the current chair
David Chimhini while James Gumbi has also been targeted in Masvingo province.
There is a little headache there because the overwhelming favourite is Bernard
Chiwondegwa who has no favour with the president. So the idea is to purge all
provincial chairpersons, including Gift Banda of Bulawayo; Sidwell Banda of
Midlands North; Piniel Denga of Mashonaland East. It is a total bloodbath,” a
high-ranking MDC official said.
However, Mwonzora refused to comment when contacted by the
Zimbabwe Independent yesterday.
“I do not discuss party issues with the Press, please go
back to the people who gave you such information or talk to the party’s
spokesman,” he said.
Mafume, the spokesperson, said: “It is true that we are
having our congress in the next five months. Basically, we have a specific
timeline to follow which would take us eight months, but the party constitution
allows us to forego some of those issues and bring the congress a little bit
forward. So that is what we are exploring. However, I am not aware of any
squabbles taking place in the party. As far as I am concerned, plans are
progressing on well.”
Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda would not comment,
saying doing so would be like “giving relevance to malicious allegations”.
Zimbabwe Independent
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