Shongedzai Mugwagwa
MDC members who were short-changed by the undemocratic and chaotic electoral processes in that party’s lower level congresses have resorted to forming parallel structures across the country, the Harare Post can report.
The congresses were marred by violence, ballot staffing, manipulation, candidate imposition and violation of party electoral template. The manipulation was aimed at ring fencing the position of party leader, Nelson Chamisa against other presidential aspirants in the mould of secretary general Douglas Mwonzora and co-vice leader Elias Mudzuri.
Epworth District Assembly which is suspected to be linked to Mwonzora held a meeting on 1 May 2019 whereupon they accused Chamisa of deviating from the party’s mandate.
The meeting which was attended by, among others, former Harare Organising Secretary Rhino Mashaya, outgoing Epworth District Organising Secretary Norman Mhlanga, former Mayor of Chitungwiza Municipality, Misheck Shoko and Chairperson of an MDC aligned pressure group-Defenders of Morgan Tsvangirai Legacy (DMTL), Edwin Dzambara, resolved that they would call for an extra-ordinary congress to constitutionally elect Morgan Tsvangirai’s successor.
Mashaya, who chaired the meeting, charged that the MDC was left in the custody of despotic hands. He lambasted the Alliance which he said was a deviation from the party’s mandate of ushering democracy.
“Nelson Chamisa is operating outside the party constitution. We will continue to recognise the structures that were put in place by the 2014 Congress. We are going to hold an extra-ordinary congress on a date to be announced to constitutionally elect Tsvangirai’s successor,” said the irate Mashaya.
The outgoing organising secretary revealed that they were working with DMTL to restore democracy within the party. He added that they were going to approach the court to challenge Chamisa’s legitimacy.
Mashaya added that they were going to organise structures in all the provinces across the country and fill in gaps left by those who “left to join the MDC Alliance.”
Sources within the Harvest House confided in this publication that Mwonzora is in possession of a document signed by Tsvangirai which state that the Alliance ceases to exist after the 2018 polls.
The source also said that failure by MDC Alliance leadership to address complaints raised by provinces; Bulawayo, Midlands, Mashonaland Central, UK/Ireland and USA over the recently held congresses has led to the formation of these parallel structures.
During a recently held National Executive Committee meeting at the MRT House, Mwonzora advised the meeting that he was in possession of complaints coming from these provinces and he urged the party to address the matter before it gets out of hand. He said the complaints included non-compliant with the party’s electoral template, ballot staffing, selected candidate disqualification, intimidation and violence.
He (Mwonzora) was shot down by Chamisa’s allies who argued that a sub-committee must be set up to investigate the matter.
Whilst Chamisa got nominations from all the 13 provinces, the party is set to split because of undemocratic manner. Mwonzora and Mudzuri were elbowed out of the race by Chamisa. The two are not likely to get any post at the congress and will be reduced to mere card carrying members.
