By Shongedzai Mugwagwa
Following unsuccessful attempts to force Masvingo Mayor Collen Maboke to step down, MDC leader Nelson Chamisa had to directly phone him threatening with unspecified threats if he did not heed the call to step down straightway.
Sources within the MDC told the Harare Post that last week on Friday, Chamisa telephoned Maboke fuming over the later’s defiance against a directive to step down as Masvingo Mayor.
Insiders further told this publication that Chamisa has reserved the Mayoral position for his nephew, Daniel Mberikunashe who is a ward 5 councillor. Harare Post has learnt that the majority of MDC members in the Masvingo Province are against Mberikunashe whom they say is a beneficiary of nepotism.
Mberikunashe is unemployed and has a certificate in welding.
A top administrator at Masvingo City Council laughed off MDC Alliance as a big joke for trying to overturn results of elections conducted transparently and in the presence of hundreds of residents.
It has been gathered from impeccable sources that Maboke, a lawyer with Ruvengo Maboke and Company Legal Practitioners defeated his rival in the race for Mayoral position with seven votes against three.
Dissentions are looming in the party due to growing dictatorial traits displayed by Chamisa. Yesterday, a newly formed pressure group dubbed Defending Morgan Tsvangirai Legacy (DMTL) held their maiden press conference in Harare where they accused Chamisa of personalising the party by unilaterally making decisions which have ripple effects to their party.
Chief among the grievances cited by the DMTL members was the willy-nilly expulsion of mayors around the country.
Chamisa is accused of pushing for the promotion of his close accolades into positions of influence ahead of the much awaited elective congress next year. Apart from that, DMTL is accusing the leadership of arm-twisting the party constitution by pushing the congress dates further when it was supposed to have been held in February 2019.
To cover up his actions, Chamisa is accusing Maboke of being a Zanu PF project whilst insiders claim that Maboke belongs to a faction that is against Chamisa’s ascendancy.
DMTL laughed off Chamisa accusing him of being hypocritical to accuse Maboke for being a Zanu PF project when he himself formed an alliance with Grace and Robert Mugabe.
