Staff reporter
The MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa threatened to leave without addressing the ‘Thank You’ rally held in Mutare yesterday if his rowdy supporters had continued to boo the party’s Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora.
Mwonzora together with the party’s Vice president, Elias Mudzuri and Manicaland Provincial Chairperson, David Chimhini, were roundly booed off the stage when they were about to chant the party slogan.
Chamisa had to come to the rescue of the trio, warning that he would leave without addressing the rally if the supporters did not allow Mwonzora to speak.
Mwonzora is alleged to have presidential ambitions and he has been accused of being sponsored by Zanu PF to challenge Chamisa for the presidency at the party’s elective congress pencilled for May this year.
“Vanhu veMDC vanoita zveMDC. Pano Secretary General achataura munhu wese akanyarara. Manicalnd haiiti zvamuri kuda kuita izvozvo. Kana musingadi ndobuda ndoenda zvangu. The Secretary General shall speak tese takateerera,” threatened Chamisa.
Speaking to the Harare Post at the poorly attended rally, one MDC supporter expressed her views concerning the three men.
“Chimhinhi anofunga kuti akangwara manje tiri kumuziva mabasa ake, inyoka yemunhu. Ari kuita basa rekuita mobilise vanhu kuti vaite support Mwonzora, manje hakuna izvozvo. Mukaisa nyoka pastage vanhu havateereri. (Chimhini thinks he is clever, but he is not, he is a snake. He is busy mobilising people to support Mwonzora, it is not going to happen. If you put a snake on the stage, no one will listen),” she said.
She added, “Mwonzora anofunga kuti chigaro chaanacho chinoita kuti awane support, manje akairasa. Support haanaba, tichasangana kuvote, haana kwaanosvika uyu. (Mwonzora thinks the position he has will gain him support, he is wrong. He has no support, we will meet at the congress he is not going anywhere).”
However, Chamisa called for unity as the party goes to the congress. Nevertheless, analysts see the call as insincere. Sources within the Provincial executive said that the booing was pre-planned and had the blessings of top hierarchy officials.
“As we go for congress, let us preach unity, we are a united party. It’s normal in a democratic party to contest each other. Anondisimbisa ndiye anondikwikwidza. Ndiri kuona mind dzenyu idzi I don’t tolerate these things,” said Chamisa.
The MDC forthcoming congress has caused a deep crack within the party, with hardliners aligned to Chamisa declaring that the presidency will not be up for grab. The party’s constitution has been thrown to the winds and there have been attempts to manipulate it to ring-fence Chamisa’s position.
While Mwonzora is being accused of being sponsored by Zanu PF, Chamisa is also allegedly being bankrolled by former president, Mr Robert Mugabe.
The tiff between Chamisa and Mwonzora began in 2014 when the former was defeated by the latter for the secretary general post.
