By Claver Nyuki
The MDC ever since the unfortunate departure of its founding leader, Morgan Tsvangirai has been left with a leadership vacuum that has led to a split and also different factions forming ahead of that party’s elective congress to be held next year.
Contrary to the traditional beliefs that a ‘dead man can do no wrong,’ most political analysts have put the blame squarely on the late leader, arguing that he should have set up a clear succession plan to avoid the power struggle, which was quite evident, once he could no longer continue as President.
At the time of Tsvangirai’s death, the party had three co-Vice Presidents, Thokozani Khupe, Elias Mudzuri and Nelson Chamisa with Khupe being the only elected VP while the others were mere appointees, a sticking point that ultimately led to the surfacing of MDC-T and MDC Alliance.
If the MDC was as democratic as they would like people to believe, they should have appointed an Acting President and call for an emergency Elective Congress to elect a new substantive President, but seeing that Chamisa did not trust himself to win, he decided to grab the leadership via the back door.
Now that the harmonised elections have come and gone, there is no running away from that party’s elective congress for Chamisa and company.
Reports have already started circulating that Chamisa with the aid of that party’s organising secretary, Amos Chibaya, have been angling to convince its members that Chamisa should not be contested at the congress, another sticking point which may lead to yet another split within the party.
MDC’s co-Vice President, Elias Mudzuri and that party’s Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora’s camps have already expressed interest to contest for the party leadership, a move that has caused Chamisa some sleepless nights.
It can be remembered that in August 2014, Chamisa and Mwonzora went head to head at that party’s elective congress for the Secretary General post in which the latter won resoundingly.
Chamisa it is evident, does not take likely to competition. Fully knowing that the return of Tendai Biti to the party may raise serious questions about his leadership capabilities, he moved swiftly to make him the National Deputy Chairperson, a key word in that being “deputy”.
The idea was to leave a barrier, which is Thabitha Khumalo in-between him and Biti, just in case he decided he now wants to lead the party.
The unfair criticism that has befallen Mudzuri following his attendance of the Parliamentary function at the State House is part of an elaborate plan by Chamisa and his cronies to side line Mudzuri before the elective congress.
Mudzuri attended the function at the invitation of the Senate President, Mabel Memory Chinomona, yet Hwende at the instigation of Chamisa want to make the people think it’s by the President’s invitation he was at the State House.
If reports emerging on social media are to be believed, Morgen Komichi has already drafted a motion to expel Mudzuri from the party without even according him a disciplinary hearing, this will mean Mwonzora becomes the biggest threat to Chamisa’s stronghold on the party leadership.
Only time will tell if he survives till the elective congress as long knives are out and baying for his blood.
