By Jasper Hloka
Victoria Falls Mayor, Somvelo Dlamini (MDC) continues on a defiance path after he welcomed President Emmerson Mnangagwa as he touched ground in the resort town for the Sixth African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD).
The latest actions from Dlamini come at a time his party and leader Nelson Chamisa are grappling to revive a tired crusade that President Mnangagwa is ‘illegitimate’ and that they would not recognise his presidency.
Since 2018 Chamisa has been trying every trick in the book to get rid of Dlamini who apparently is deemed the darling of the majority of Victoria Falls residents. His fruitless efforts have only helped portray the MDC Alliance as a grouping of ‘confusionists’.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, one official told the Harare Post that, “fighting nature has never been a good idea and one can never put a good man down. Dlamini is the people’s choice and regardless of the mudslinging by HQ (MDC leadership at Richard Morgan Tsvangirai House) he continues to be the darling of many here and is doing great in that regard”.
He added that the failure by Chamisa to recognise the popularity of Dlamini was dragging his leadership credentials through the mud as he is only displaying the futility of his reasoning by fighting a losing battle.
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa is expected to officially launch the 6th edition of ARFSD today here in Victoria Falls where development partners, neighbouring countries government Ministers and United Nations officials are gathered to review and assess progress towards the implementation of 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.
