by Tawanda Musariri
The strife torn opposition Movement for Democratic Change has torqued its violence machinery to new life after the ensemble went underground for some time.
The Democratic Resistance Committees led by militant youths is used as a whip to mete extra constitutional force and punishment to members with dissenting voices and perceived enemies. The DRCs as they are known, are responsible for the violence suffered by party stalwarts like Elton Mangoma, Tendai Biti, Trudy Stevenson and Thokozani Khupe. Little fish in the party are beaten down to silence.
The DRCs are this time reactivated to deal with dissenting voices on protected positions ahead of the congress due in 60 days. The most protected but sought out position is the presidency which Chamisa wants to veto into an uncontested position. All party positions fall vacant every congress.
On the long list of clients of the DRC are Zanu PF and government functionaries. The aim of the violence company is to make the country appear unstable and ungovernable with the intention of bringing Zanu PF to a power negotiating deal under duress.
In the wake of the congress, the Harare Post has it on good authority that all threats to Chamisa's stranglehold on presidency will either be embarrassed or physically dealt with in order to derail their walk to Harvest House. Party Vice President, Engineer Elias Mudzuri and Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora are top priority customers.
Kwekwe's Mbizo MP Hon Settlement Chikwinya is said to be the boss of this new mafia in town. Because of this, activities of the youth outfit will be headquartered and run from Kwekwe.
Word leaking from Harvest House says the DRC's location in Kwekwe is not coincidental to Chikwinya's constituency alone. Its removal from Harare is meant to limit public scrutiny from the prying eyes of Harare. Also considered in the location of this group in Kwekwe was to divorce any possibly imagined links with Chamisa. The revealed truth is that Chamisa is a powerful kingpin of this para-regiment.
It is also thought that the Kwekwe address was designed in line with the party's thinking of moving the seat of government to the Midlands province. The party is hopeful that when it achieves power one day, the paramilitary ensemble has to be close to the seat of government. Also, Harare is proving to be too hot a location for the efficient operation of this group as the capital city is perceived to be saturated with internal and external enemies.
The activities of the DRCs appear to corroborate MDC breakaway spokesperson Linda Masarira’s exposé of secret training arrangements within the MDC led by Nelson Chamisa. Midlands' expansive cattle ranches appear to have come as an important temptation to the party's training ambition.
Harvest House leaks say the youth training program which takes a full week is meant to equip the youths with non combat and light weapon fighting skill. All this is preparation for congress, a democratic tool of power management and leadership renewal.
More importantly, the DRCs are meant to be foot soldiers leading the way and psyching people to participate in future demonstrations the party will undertake. This need was awakened by the poorly attended demo on 29 November which left the party licking its wounds.
The MDC has resolved to squeeze political oxygen out of the ruling party in order to drag it to the negotiating table. The MDC is expecting to salvage some spoils of power from the blackmail it is subjecting the government to.
Away from the congress fight, the DRC is said to be handy for the fight for government positions should talks offer anything in the remote or near future.
