Political Reporter
The escalation of factional fights in the MDC Alliance Bulawayo Provincial Assembly has prompted that party’s leader, Nelson Chamisa, to deploy to the province a fact finding team led by one of his deputies, Lynnette Karenyi Kore, to try and dose the factional fires that are threatening to tear down that party.
An impeccable source within the MDC Alliance confided in this publication that Bulawayo had become a problem province and Chamisa was not amused by the divisions, purportedly being led by some senior members of that party. Chamisa, who is allegedly not happy with heightening factionalism in his party, has directed Kore’s team to thoroughly investigate the root causes of factionalism in Bulawayo and report back to him.
According to the source, Bulawayo is sharply divided into two distinct factions, one led by that party’s co vice president, Welshman Ncube and the other by national chairperson Thabitha Khumalo.
Ncube’s faction is believed to have members such as Bulawayo Provincial Chairperson, James Sithole, Njube-Lobengula legislator, Gift Banda, Luveve legislator, Charles Moyo, Nketa legislator Masuku Phelela, provincial member Phumulani Sibanda and Ward 25 councilor Mzamo Dube.
The source added that Khumalo’s faction is backed by the provincial spokesperson, Swirthern Chiroodza, provincial organizing secretary Helen Zivira, Bulawayo Central legislator, Nicola Watson, Emakhandeni-Entumbane legislator Dingilizwe Tshuma and suspended deputy mayor Tinashe Kambarami among others.
Kore’s mission to Bulawayo is therefore to sit down with these two warring factions and determine the root cause of their differences for onward reporting to Chamisa.
According to the source, Khumalo faction is attempting to lure some national leaders into its camp. In that regard, Chiroodza recently called the national spokesperson, Fadzayi Mahere begging her not to publicize Prof Ncube’s door to door mobilization programme in Bulawayo.
Mahere is alleged to have told Chiroodza that her duty as the head of the communication department was to publicize and communicate information that is beneficial to the party without fear or favour.
After failing to arm twist Mahere, Chiroodza allegedly sent a list of Bulawayo members from the Prof Ncube faction to that party’s national deputy chairperson, Job Sikhala asking him to initiate the expulsion or suspension of same on allegation of causing divisions within the Bulawayo province.
The same source added that Chamisa has threatened that if factionalism does not stop within the party, he would personally hand pick 2023 candidates to avoid a situation where his nemesis would contest on behalf of the party.
Factional fights within the MDC Alliance’s Bulawayo structures are threatening to tear apart the already distressed opposition party as the leaders are in a rush to position themselves and their allies ahead of the 2023 plebiscites. Prof Ncube and Khumalo are fighting to be the political godfathers of the province ahead of the forthcoming elections.
