Christopher Makaza
MDC-T led by Dr Thokozani Khupe is mounting pressure on MDC Deputy Secretary for External Affairs, Douglas Mwonzora and Local Government Secretary, Elias Mudzuri to publicly renounce their MDC affiliation if ever they want to be accommodated into the MDC-T home.
Speaking at a two day workshop held at Mabvazuva lodge in Harare last week, MDC-T members took turns to lambast Mwonzora and Mudzuri for endorsing Nelson Chamisa as MDC leader at the opposition party`s elective congress held in Gweru last month. The members urged the two to publicly condemn Chamisa so that the MDC-T family can have confidence and trust in working with them.
“We are not sure whether we will be able to work with these two before they renounce their MDC memberships. How we know if they are not double-edged swords? We need assurance from them, its either they are here or there.
“For us to freely work with them without any trust issues, they must also turn down their appointments in the MDC National Standing Committee,” said one the MDC-T members.
Mudzuri was appointed Secretary for Local Government in the MDC National Standing Committee. He was the party’s former Vice President and political analysts deem it as a demotion. The analysts construe it as a punishment for attempting to challenge Chamisa just after the death of Morgan Tsvangirai.
Mudzuri has been arguing that he is the right person to lead the opposition party considering that he was left in charge of the party while Chamisa was in charge of the alliance which was supposed to have been disbanded soon after the elections.
Mwonzora was appointed Deputy Secretary for external Relations and analysts view his appointment as a demotion as well considering that he wanted to retain his Secretary General post. In fact Mwonzora had Presidential ambitions which led to his fall out with Chamisa.
Mudzuri, Mwonzora and some candidates who lost during the Gweru congress are reportedly disgruntled to the extent that they have join hands with the Biti faction.
The grand plan, the sources say, is for the Biti faction to join forces with Khupe and fight Chamisa`s legitimacy.
Speaking at the same workshop, Khupe said that she was very hopeful that the Supreme Court ruling will be in her favour, dismissing claims by Chamisa that he was endorsed by the late Tsvangirai as the leader of MDC.
According to the MDC sources, Chamisa is trying by all means to entice Khupe back to his party so that she will not continue with their MDC-T Extra-Ordinary congress. The sources said Chamisa was trying to be good to Khupe because he is fully aware that if the court rules in favour of Khupe as the rightful heir to Tsvangirai, it will then means Khupe will seize all the MDC properties including the Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House. She will also be the rightful beneficiary of the Government grants which the opposition party receives.
