By Gift Mashoko

Alliance for National Salvation (ANSA) and Mthwakazi Republic Party have received undisclosed amounts of money from Western embassies and Civic Society Organisations (CSOs) to buy the allegiance of the chiefs in Matabeleland region for MDC, the Harare Post can reveal.

Sources say the two organisations and the same benefactors were the forces behind the political activities of Chiefs Felix Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni of Ntabazinduna and Vezi Maduna of Filabusi who have since declared their allegiance to the MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa.

Chiefs Ndiweni and Maduna recently had a meeting with the MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, his deputy Morgan Komichi and chairperson Tabitha Khumalo, at the MDC party offices in Harare. At that meeting, the two chiefs are alleged to have warned Chamisa against participating in the national dialogue. The chiefs advised Chamisa that he must only accept an arrangement where a transitional authority is set up pending fresh elections.

Former MDC legislator, Moses Mzila Ndlovu’s opposition political party, Alliance for National Salvation (ANSA) and the secessionist Mthwakazi Republic Party are holding secret meetings with chiefs in Matebeleland whom they are cajoling to mount pressure on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to address the gukurahundi issue.

Mzila, sources said had been promised a top job by Chamisa should he succeed to buy the Chiefs’ allegiance for the MDC Alliance.

The two parties are influencing the chiefs to highlight their grievances, among them alleged marginalisation.

The Constitution in Chapter 15 section 281(2) stipulates that: “Traditional leaders must not be members of any political party or in any way participate in partisan politics, act in a partisan manner, further the interests of any political party or cause.”

However, political analyst, Takunda Mashiri said that the law must not be selectively applied. “Chief Fortune Charumbira was dragged to court for his alleged inclination to the ruling party ZANU PF.  Now these two chiefs have declared their allegiance and nobody is making noise.”