MDC stalwarts who were not elected at the just ended party 5th elective congress are now banking on party leader Nelson Chamisa to save their political careers.
The party’s National Council and Congress, as well as the constitution, recently gave Chamisa the powers to appoint some individuals into the national executive.
Party bigwigs such as former vice presidents Elias Mudzuri and Morgen Komichi, secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, Tracy Mutinhiri, former Economic planning minister Tapiwa Mashakada, youth assembly chairperson Happymore Chidziva and youth secretary-general Lovemore Chinoputsa among others fell by the wayside at the Congress.
Speaking to the Daily News yesterday, MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume said:
The appointments will be done before the national standing committee which will be diarised soon but there are no constitutional provisions to say the president must make the appointments on or before this date.
Weeks before the Congress, Chamisa promised sweeping reforms which seek to boot out every suspicious element. Bigwigs including Douglas Mwonzora and Elias Mudzuri were labeled ZANU PF agents by some members of the party. Mwonzora has on several occasions refuted the claims.
These are not the first to be labeled enemies of the party working from within. Tendai Biti and Jacob Mafume (2014 onwards), Nelson Chamisa (after 2014 congress), Welshman Ncube (2005 onwards), and Job Sikhala (2010 onwards) are some of the party members who have been accused of working with the ZANU PF.
The Congress has however pardoned the formerly accused party cadres and readmitted them into the party.