Political reporter

...as rival faction attempts to block the appointment

MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa last week elevated national youth assembly deputy chairperson, Cecelia Chimbiri, to be a national executive member (NEC) despite complaints by the youth assembly’s chairperson, Obey Sithole, who was arguing that Chimbiri was not yet ripe to be an NEC member.

A source within the MDC Alliance said sometime this month, the party’s NEC gave a resolution that more women should be promoted into the NEC to ensure gender parity. It was then resolved that Chimbiri should be elevated to NEC.

However, Sithole who was Chimbiri’s boss until her recent promotion was against her elevation as she belongs to a rival faction. Sithole, who is a member of the Maruva/Kensington cabal, wanted one of their own to take up the position in the NEC.

Reports are that national youth assembly secretary general, Ostallos Siziba, who belongs to the Chamisa faction, got wind of Sithole’s maneuvers to try and block Chimbiri’s promotion. Siziba then alerted Chamisa that the Maruva cabal was lining one of their members, Mashonaland Central provincial member Patricia Chigwade, to take up the NEC position. Reports are that besides Chigwade being a member of the Maruva cabal, she is also Sithole’s girlfriend.

Irked by the Maruva cabal’s maneuvers, Chamisa then swiftly elevated Chimbiri to the NEC without consulting other members, even his deputies. Chamisa further directed one of his deputies, Lynnette Karenyi Kore, to ignore any appointments that were made by Hwende.

The source added that positions in the MDC Alliance were now reserved for girlfriends of leaders saying that it was worrying that as a movement, they were now prioritizing sexual pleasures at the expense of the movement. The source further said that Chimbiri might have been elevated to NEC member as she is also a girlfriend to one of the National Standing Committee member.