By Staff reporter
The MDC Alliance leadership has descended on Bulawayo following an embarrassing drubbing in Cowdary Park (Ward 28) by-elections.
Zanu PF’s Kidwell Mujuru bagged 1 899 votes against MDC Alliance’s two candidates, Nomagugu Mloyi and Collet Ndlovu who garnered 1229 and 221 respectively. Zanu-PF got 449 more votes than the two MDC Alliance candidates’ combined votes.
Among the leaders who visited Bulawayo were Morgen Komichi, Professor Welshman Ncube, Douglas Mwonzora, Tabitha Khumalo, Tendai Biti and Jacob Mafume.
Sources within the party said the party’s secretary general, Mwonzora was subjected to embarrassment by the security details at the party office. He was the only national leader who was searched by the security which expressed fear that the presidential aspirant might sneak in with weapons.
Chamisa instructed the Province to complete the district assembly congresses by 12 April and subsequently hold provincial congress on 13 April. He threatened that the province would be barred from participating in the national congress if they failed to beat his deadline. He directed that the province must prevent undeserving elements from participating in the process.
Chamisa said he was disappointed by cases of violence characterising most of the wards and districts assembly congresses. “People are free to nominate either me or (Douglas) Mwonzora,” said Chamisa, a statement whose sincerity is doubted by some members.
He accused the provincial chairman, Gift Banda of perpetrating violence in the province. Banda is believed to be pro-Mwonzora.
The youthful leader asked Banda about reports that a party member, Cornelius Nyatsanga fled with election material during the Ward 7 Congress on 24 March, to which Banda refuted. However, James Sithole, the provincial organising secretary and pro-Chamisa foot soldier confirmed the report. This enraged Chamisa who accused the two of fanning factionalism. He charged that the two protagonists had no grassroots support.
The fuming leader rebuked the two losing candidates for donating the Cowdray Park seat to Zanu PF because they failed to agree. He said the defeat gave an impression to the international community that Zanu PF was penetrating MDC strongholds.
