By Claver Nyuki
The Nelson Chamisa led MDC councillors invited the wrath of that party’s leader, Nelson Chamisa after defying his directive to embarrass President Emmerson Mnanagagwa by walking away during his address of the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) conference in Bulawayo.
A source close to the high echelons of power within the MDC exposed that Chamisa was furious with his councillors for attending the UCAZ conference, equating it to endorsing President Mnangagwa’s leadership in contrast with that party’s stance that the President is ‘illegitimate.’
“Chamisa is not happy with the councillors who attended the Urban Councils conference in Bulawayo as he believes that they sold out their cause.
“He has specifically ordered the councillors to walk out during the President’s address but the councillors seemed enthusiastic and engaged President Mnangagwa during the conference,” he said.
The source revealed that the National Standing Committee meeting to be held today would summon some of the councillors to explain why they defied Chamisa’s instruction to walk away from President Mnangagwa.
Chamisa is said to have demanded answers from the party’s Secretary General, Chalton Hwende and Organising Secretary, Amos Chibaya who had been appointed to coordinate the operation.
“There is supposed to be a National Standing Committee meeting today and Chamisa has demanded an explanation from Hwende and Chibaya who had been appointed to oversee the operation,” said the source.
Meanwhile, commenting on the conference, President Mnangagwa during his address at the anti-sanctions rally in Mahusekwa applauded urban councils and encouraged them to continue to strive to give better service delivery.
“On Friday we were in Bulawayo for the urban councils (conference). Of the 900 urban councillors, about 700 of them are from the MDC. Very few were from Zanu PF. I was happy to see MDC councillors freely deliberating on issues and trying to find solutions to the challenges they are facing. They were not being rebellious. This is what we want, if you are given a job by the masters,” said the President.
The MDC councillors shunned calls by that party leadership to walk out as they see progress in uniting with Government to ensure better service delivery to the residents especially that Government controls the funds for devolution.
Ever since suffering defeat in the 2018 harmonised elections, the MDC leadership has been in denial, refusing to recognise President Mnangagwa and engaging in activities to embarrass the President despite the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) confirming the results.
The UCAZ conference which ran under the theme “Urban local authorities embracing devolution with the mantra of an upper middle income by 2030,” is in line with President Mnangagwa’s vision of a prosperous nation by the year 2030.
