Staff reporter

Tension within the MDC Alliance has reached a boiling point with developments pointing to an imminent worst split the party has ever witnessed since inception.

Insiders say the imminent crack is likely to spell the expiration of the shaky party. Backbiting, bad mouthing each other and covert scheming, the insiders said, had become the order of the day as rival camps attempt to out-manoeuvre each other. Sources said the MDC-A co-vice leader, Tendai Biti had been anointed by a rebel camp christened Kensington/Maruva Cabal to be their front man.

Since the anointment, Biti has been allegedly embarking on activities that border on coup.

“Recently, Biti who was holding forte for president (Nelson) Chamisa who had gone to Bikita for a funeral, attempted to force (co-vice leader Lynette Karenyi) Kore to submit to him the findings of the Bulawayo probe before she even presented same to the president. Kore stood her ground and told him that she would only release the findings after presenting them to president Chamisa who appointed her to lead the probe team,” said one source.

The source said she had it on good authority that the findings nailed most of the cabal members.

The source further revealed that Biti recently chaired a virtual NSC meeting where he attempted to reverse the appointment of Cecelia Chimbiri into the Gender Task Force and replace her with National Assembly Council member, Patience Chigwane who is also rumoured to be Obey Sithole’s girlfriend. Sithole, the party’s youth assembly leader, apparently belongs to the Maruva cabal.

“There was a requirement that the youth should second one member to the Gender Task Force. Obey and his allies submitted Chigwane’s name to the Communication department, but the president rejected it and unilaterally appointed Chimbiri. It became a hot issue during the recent virtual NSC meeting after Obey, with the backing of Biti and other Kensington cabal members demanded the reversal of Chimbiri’s appointment. Biti told the meeting that the youth’s choice should be respected and he raised concern over what he said the ‘Zanufication of the movement’,” said the source.

Another source said Chamisa was also working tirelessly to repel any endeavours to seize power from him. He revealed that Chamisa attacked Biti without mincing his words during a recent meeting with the recalled legislators and councillors.

“The President had no kind words for Biti and his allies. He asserted that he would institute a disciplinary hearing for some of the leaders if they did not change their behaviour. He is very much alive to the machinations by the cabal, but he is not moved a bit since he has grassroots grounding,” said the source.

 The MDC A has been bedevilled by factionalism pitting Chamisa and Biti with the later enjoying the backing of the Western embassies that see him as being more courageous, focused and mature.