By Staff reporter
The spate of intra-party violence rocking the MDC in the mini congresses has triggered calls for leadership renewal during the party’s national congress pencilled for May.
The call comes after MDC youth leader and former Chitungwiza Deputy Mayor, Jabulani Mtunzi was run over by a car and assaulted and left for dead during selection of candidates for the party’s district assembly organs over the weekend.
Political flip flopper Jelousy Mawarire castigated the violent clashes that have marred the MDC mini congresses.
Commenting on twitter after the assault of Mtunzi, Mawarire said, “Nelson Chamisa and MDC Alliance senior officials need to come out clean on this. This can’t be the route to democratic change. Violence by anyone should be condemned in the strongest terms.”
Patson Dzamara, a renowned Nelson Chamisa fan laid the blame squarely on the leader of the opposition while calling for a leadership renewal exercise.
“The people’s movement must be re-engineered and recalibrated. The congress presents an opportunity for renewal and a reset. If a reset doesn’t happen at the congress then we might as well get used to ZANU PF because currently it’s a better option,” said Dzamara.
One netizen identified as @MaDube, further reiterated and laid the rot and violence within the MDC Alliance squarely on leadership, saying “People like Charlton Hwende are very dangerous to the movement. I had seen him on countless occasions attacking senior members on social media.”
Dzamara further added that, “I see some are in denial regarding the defeat that our party suffered in Cowdray Park over the weekend. It's actually ridiculous for anyone to even suggest rigging. Hama, there was no rigging apa, we were beaten because of our internal issues. We must attend to those issues, through leadership renewal at congress.”
Chamisa’s spokesperson, Nkululeko Sibanda had alleged that the Cowdray Park by-election had been rigged. “Look, we blinked and the rigging machine took advantage. This is primarily because the President focused on the Cyclone and humanitarian situation. Be rest assured, President will look into this,” said Sibanda in a tweet that he later deleted.
Contrary to Sibanda’s sentiments, his boss, Chamisa admitted that his party lost the by-election and promised to institute reforms within the party.
“The Cowdray Park Ward election results are a stark reminder of the urgent need for a far reaching ‘root and branch’ reforms and renewal set to kick in at congress. Leadership excesses and conduct that resulted in the party donating a seat to our opposition is regrettable. This is the last of it,” said Chamisa in a tweet.
