Witness Dube, a former senior official of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has made a statement on social media claiming that the “radar of democracy” is now permanently located within the ruling party, ZANU PF. This statement was made in response to criticism from David Coltart, a former Education Minister during the Government of National Unity (GNU), who had accused Dube of defecting and joining ZANU PF.
Dube had posted a photo on Twitter showing himself at a ZANU PF event while wearing the party regalia, which Coltart criticised as “utterly shameful”. In response, Dube claimed that ZANU PF was now the home of democracy. Dube’s initial tweet reads:
Old friends meet again, albeit under revolutionary settings in Centenary, Mashonaland Central!
Coltart then responded by saying:
Utterly shameful – but at least your true colours are out. When I think of the sacrifices innocent people made for you, when all along it was just a sham, I am appalled.
Then Dube responded and said:
The radar of democracy is now permanently resident in @ZANUPF_Official. But I do understand why you have to scream for your Mayoral post, you were never the people’s choice, & now have to divert attention away from that fact. We are coming for the cities & towns. EDpfeeee!
His remarks are significant given his previous position within the MDC as the national spokesperson. It suggests that he no longer believes that the MDC can provide a viable alternative to ZANU PF in terms of promoting democratic ideals. While Dube is not the first to defect to ZANU PF, his departure and statements could have implications for the political landscape in Zimbabwe, particularly as the country approaches its next elections.
Since its formation in 1999, the MDC has been committed to removing ZANU PF from power, accusing it of being autocratic and engaging in anti-democratic practices such as election rigging, voter intimidation, and harassment.