MDC fissures balloon

By Jasper Hloka

… as Prof Moyo is sucked in

MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa, continues to battle his deputies, Tendai Biti and Lynett Karenyi-Kore, who are accusing him of directing the party’s Deputy National Spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, to issue a statement castigating Job Sikhala for his treasonous statements without consulting the National Standing Committee.

Things have never been the same at MDC Alliance since Chamisa’s machinations to throw Sikhala under the bus, played out in the open. An MDC Alliance high ranking official spilt the beans to the Harare Post, divulging that despite Chamisa’s position on the matter, Biti and MDC Deputy Secretary for International Relations, Douglas Mwonzora, swiftly moved to engage a team of lawyers who are representing Sikhala.

On her part, Karenyi-Kore took to twitter expressing her solidarity with Sikhala and seconding his hardline and confrontational approach to Government.

The source added that “Chamisa was to be blamed by his deputies for taking more than two days before he could visit Sikhala. To them (Biti and Karenyi) this was clear demarcation of battle lines given that Chamisa has of late been advocating for dialogue against the general consensus in that party that Government only understand the language of protests and demonstrations.”

Biti comes in representing the radical faction which is playing the political cards favorable to the ousted Zanu PF faction, the G40 under the stewardship of Professor Jonathan Moyo. This publication has it on good authority that Prof Moyo has since shifted his favors from Chamisa to Biti owing to the latter’s violent and militia approach to politics.

The source added that “there are maneuvers by Biti and Sikhala to join forces with Prof Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere, Patrick Zhuwao and a handful of securocrats ousted during the 2017 Operation Restore Legacy. A series of meetings are being held in South Africa where they are plotting a political comeback. From Sikhala’s actions, it is obvious that whatever political creature they are creating, it will not be a diplomatic one.”

Prof Moyo who has been decorating Sikhala with accolades for his recent actions, is also said to be in talks with Kenya’s Raila Odinga taking advantage of his proximity to the politician. The source posited that “if you check, Prof Moyo sympathized a lot with Sikhala, posting on his Twitter page and making a hero out of him. He is also attempting to bring with him the influence of Odinga, taking advantage of his refuge status in Kenya.”

Divisions in MDC Alliance and the involvement of Prof Moyo do not come as a surprise given his running record of leaving a trail of disharmony in his political career. In Zanu PF, Prof Moyo engineered the creation of the G40, persecuted and chased away War Veterans before pushing for the infamous former First Lady, Grace Mugabe, to take over as the President of Zimbabwe.