by Innocent Mujeri
Details emerging to this publication revealed that, MDC-Alliance Organising Secretary, Amos Chibaya, mobilised youths led by Bulawayo MDC-Alliance Youth Assembly chairperson Tinashe Kambarami, Pasho Sibanda, Ben Hlatswayo, among others to disrupt the MDC-T congress candidates’ nomination meeting held in Bulawayo over the weekend.
According to a source within MDC-Alliance, after disrupting the proceedings of the candidates nomination process, Chibaya, with the blessing of his leader Nelson Chamisa, went on to circulate fake results insinuating that MDC-T Organising Secretary Abednico Bhebhe had trounced other candidates like Thokozani Khupe, Douglas Mwonzora, Morgan Komichi and Elias Mudzuri.
“The results that are circulating on social media and other publications are fake and misleading. Although the party resolved to hold the publication of the results, it is known that MDC-T acting president Khupe had won the nomination process with a wider margin ahead of other contestants. The party will deliberate on the way forward, but there is a possibility that the nomination process could be started afresh in Bulawayo,” said a source.
The source further said results that are circulating on social media insinuating that Bhebhe won the Bulawayo nomination process by 170 votes are false because the Electoral College on that day was composed of only 115 people.
“The Electoral College was 115 people, but we were surprised to hear that Bhebhe had won by 170 votes. Where did he got the other 55 votes from,” said the same source.
The same source went on to say that the MDC-T discovered that there is a plot by the MDC-Alliance to support the candidature of Bhebhe so that if he wins the MDC-T presidency at congress and he will later step down for Chamisa after co-opting him into the structures,
The source further alleged that the MDC-Alliance is planning to disrupt other MDC-T nomination meetings to be held in the coming days.
One MDC-Alliance member, Silindeni Ncube, who attended the Bulawayo meeting said it is regrettable that the MDC-Alliance has resorted to violence to settle political differences.
“It’s regrettable that the MDC-Alliance thinks that violence is the panacea to their political problems. There was no need for Chibaya and his thugs to disrupt our meeting in Bulawayo, because he is not a member of the MDC-T. From the funeral of Morgan Tsvangirai up to now, the MDC-Alliance is still using violence to settle political differences and it’s a pity coming from people who say they value democracy,” said Ncube.
The MDC-T began the congress candidates’ nomination process to choose candidates who will contest at that party’s extra ordinary congress to be held before year end.
The extra ordinary congress is set to elect a substantive president to replace the late Morgan Tsvangirai who succumbed to cancer in 2018.
