Political Reporter

….as they await results of the Commission of Inquiry

Anxiety has reportedly gripped the MDC Alliance Bulawayo structures as they await the results of the Commission of Inquiry dispatched to that Province by Nelson Chamisa to ascertain the causes of factional fights within that party.

Last week, MDC Alliance leader Chamisa dispatched to Bulawayo a fact finding team led by that party’s co vice president Lynnette Karenyi Kore to unearth the genesis of factional fights that had culminated in the provincial youth assembly passing a vote of no confidence in the leadership of the provincial chairperson, James Sithole.

A source privy to the details confided in this publication that both factions, the one led by co-vice president Welshman Ncube and the other by national chairperson Thabitha Khumalo, were impatiently awaiting the results of the probe team that spent the better part of last week quizzing members in Bulawayo to ascertain the causes of wrangles, distrust and fights within that province.

“Fear and anxiety has gripped people here in Bulawayo as they await the recommendations of the probe team. Both factions are not certain if the results would be favourable to them. Since the departure of the probe team, prominent factional members such as Sithole, Swirthern Chiroodza, Helen Zivira and Tinashe Kambarami are not showing signs of happiness. It seems they are afraid of the outcome of the probe,” said the source.

The source supplemented that there were reports insinuating that Thabitha Khumalo had been calling Karenyi Kore persuading her to compile a report that would be favourable to her faction. According to the source, Khumalo’s faction suffered a blow last week when its key member Chiroodza was heavily reproached by other members of leaking sensitive party information to the media in a bid to tarnish the image of his nemesis.

The same source added that from the look of things, it is likely that the probe team would recommend the dissolving of the entire Bulawayo structures as most members are entangled in the factional fights. The source said Bulawayo was likely to be led by a caretaker committee made up of members from Bulawayo, Matebeleland South and Matebeleland North until the holding of the next elections.

MDC Alliance Bulawayo structures have been in disarray following that party’s provincial congress held in April 2019. Following the election that was won by Sithole as the provincial chairperson, 12 losing provincial executive aspirants appealed to the national executive calling for the nullification of congress results citing rigging among other irregularities.

The appeal was dismissed and since then, two distinct factions have emerged, with one led by Ncube and the other by Khumalo as the two are battling to be the kingmakers in Bulawayo and the Matebeleland region.