Michael Munoda
In a bid to strengthen his position in the MDC Alliance ahead of the 2023 elections, Nelson Chamisa is contemplating a strategic master stroke that will see new personalities assuming leadership, a source close to the developments has revealed.
The source said Chamisa’s Convergence of Citizens for Change (CCC) would give him an opportunity to bring in some new personalities into the leadership of the MDC who would be indebted to him.
“These new personalities will be beholden to him (Chamisa) because they will be incorporated and will therefore side with him in any contest for power in the leadership of the MDC,” said the source.
He added that the new personalities would be drawn from pro-MDC activists such as Hopewell Chin’ono, Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) leader Obert Masaraure, Jacob Ngarivhume, Nkosana Moyo, Temba Mliswa, Simba Makoni and some members from the former Zanu PF faction, the G40.
“These new entrants along with emerging and youthful MDC leaders such as Joana Mamombe, Fadzayi Mahere and Gift Ostallos Siziba are expected to occupy senior positions in the new movement. Daphine Kanoti will be part of the movement as leader of the war veterans’ assembly,” said the source.
The source said Chamisa’s new found political strategic skills were attributed to Robert Greene’s 48 laws of power. He said the MDC leader avidly read the book.
“Rule number one in that book says, ‘Never outshine the master.’ In line with that rule, Chamisa wants to dilute the power of influence of (Tendai) Biti Job (Sikhala) who have on a number of occasions tried to be more militant, smarter and closer to donors than him. He is going to use the emergence of the new movement to purge some troublesome elements in the MDC,” the source said.
The sources said in line with rule number three- conceal your intentions- Chamisa was expected to pretend to cherish the companionship of the troublesome elements.
He added: “He will not fire the troublesome characters or demote them but will neutralise them by crowding the top echelons of the movement with the new players. In this way, he will also be following rule number 14 which says, ‘Pause as a friend, work as a spy.”
He added that the troublesome would be hoodwinked into thinking that Chamisa was still their friend. Chamisa, he said, would still be working with them and would then use the opportunity to keep them under watch while exploiting their vulnerabilities.
“At the opportune time, Chamisa will invoke rule number 15 which says, ‘Crush your enemy totally,” said the source.
He said if this project succeeds, Zimbabwe would see a new movement whose leaders would emerge from outside the known MDC nucleus. He said the new leaders would have diverse ideologies and backgrounds with Chamisa emerging as unchallengeable leader.
Among those earmarked for the presidium positions are Ngarivhume, Mahere, Chin’ono, Professor Jonathan Moyo and Dr Makoni among others. The source said in the case that Zanu PF successfully lobbied for the upping of age limit for presidential candidates, Dr Makoni would stand in as the new movement’s candidate. He will be expected to hand over power to Chamisa when he becomes eligible.
Hwende, whose name has been tarnished by allegations of abusing donor funds, is not expected in the top leadership of the new movement. Chamisa is also reportedly working frantically to flush out suspected state agents who allegedly infiltrated the MDC. The source said Chamisa wanted to sanitise the organisation before launching the new project.
