Shongedzai Mugwagwa
The merging of some MDC provinces in accordance with demarcations of the country’s provincial boundaries has widened the crack within the fragile party, The Harare Post can exclusively report.
MDC’s Harare and Chitungwiza joint Provincial Executive Council meeting held at the Morgan Tsvangirai (MRT) House on Friday had to be prematurely aborted following chaos arising from disagreements over allocations of positions.
A disgruntled insider confided in this publication that MDC Harare Provincial Chairman, Eric Murai’s proposal over the power sharing deal acted as a match stick to an already petrol damp situation.
It is said that Chitungwiza province refused to be addressed by Murai whom they accused of pushing for his personal political ambitions.
The source said that the issue of power sharing modalities was further cracking the party as many are being irked by the proposals presented to them by the leadership.
Murai is alleged to have proposed that in the merger, Harare Province should have two thirds of the new provincial executive council posts.
The proposal did not go well with Chitungwiza province members who attended the meeting which resulted in exchange of words in the meeting.
“Murai proposed that since Harare has more district assemblies than Chitungwiza, there was need for the capital city to have a lion’s share in the new executive council..
“Murai went further and demanded that the position of Chairman should also come from Harare Province,” said the source who refused to be named.
Both proposals by Murai were viciously shot down by Chitungwiza and this led to a premature abortion of the meeting as members accused Murai of pushing for personal political interests as an interested part.
MDC resolved to merge two of its provinces into existing provinces. The party had 12 provinces since its formation. The merging will see part of Midlands North being merged to Midlands and Mashonaland West Provinces. Chitungwiza will be merged to Harare.
Meanwhile, the party’s Organising Secretary, Amos Chibaya presided over a merging and power sharing meeting in Mashonaland West which also had to be aborted after members reached a deadlock.
Chibaya advised the meeting that the provinces which were being dissolved will get two uncontested posts each in the National Council. The meeting reached a deadlock when Midlands North showed interest in the Provincial Secretary’s post. Interestingly, the same post was targeted by the existing Mashonaland West districts and Chitungwiza province.
Political analysts contacted by the Harare Post said that party leader; Nelson Chamisa merged the provinces to eject all pro-party Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora members.
The party’s internal affairs have reached a boiling point ahead of the much awaited elective congress to be held in May this year.
Battle lines have been drawn in the sand; some pushing for Mwonzora to become the party’s substantive President whilst the Chamisa faction is challenging and labelling all intending to challenge the party leader as sellouts and Zanu PF projects.
