by Innocent Mujeri

Leader of the MDC Alliance, Nelson Chamisa, is reportedly not comfortable with the growing profiles of his deputy Tendai Biti and that party’s vice chairperson Job Sikhala and now strongly believes that the two are clandestinely working to usurp power from him, the Harare Post has learnt.

An insider confided in this publication that Chamisa set out a surveillance team on Biti and Sikhala because he is suspicious that the two are no longer loyal to him.

“The president (Chamisa) is no longer comfortable working with Biti and Sikhala as he suspects that the two are no longer loyal to him. A group of boys have been assigned a task by Chamisa to monitor the movements of Biti and Sikhala as the president (Chamisa) is suspecting that the two are up to no good,” said the insider.

The insider further said Chamisa was not amused by Jacob Mafume’s victory in the Harare Mayoral by-election as he saw it as another way Biti was consolidating his power in the opposition by strategically placing his allies in influential positions.

Chamisa is also reported to have been incensed by Sikhala’s speech at the funeral of MDC Alliance member, Anna Muyambo where he told Chamisa that popularity alone will not take him anywhere. Chamisa is believed to have interpreted Sikhala’s speech to mean that he was a weak leader who should be replaced.

“Chamisa is of the feeling that Sikhala exposed him to mourners as a weak leader with no political strategy. Because of that, Chamisa is planning to eliminate Sikhala from the MDC Alliance politics as he now sees him as a threat to his throne,” added the source.

The same insider said Chamisa went on to confide in Charlton Hwende that he regrets joining hands with Sikhala and Biti as the two are now undermining his authority.

The suspicions among the top leaders of the MDC Alliance is threatening to ground that political formation as Chamisa is reportedly plotting to expel everyone who might pose a threat to his leadership in that opposition formation.