MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has promised to bring back life into his once vibrant opposition party now seen as a pale shadow of its former self.
The country’s main opposition heads for its elective congress 24-26 May with the 41-year-old opposition leader having secured his job.
Chamisa has not lost time in outlining his vision of a party he says he wants to restore to its yesteryear glory.
“We are bringing in a fresh brand of politics,” Chamisa said in a promotional video shared by MDC ahead of the party’s first elective process since the February 2018 death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
“…As we go to this congress, we are going to introduce a new organisational culture, a strategic refocus, a reinvigoration of not just our structure but also our culture.
“We are not an opposition. We are an alternative proposition and we are moving our organisation from just individuals and personalities to institutions and ideas.
“Beyond the congress, we want to start to address your bread and butter issues. We want to address your fundamental questions about school fees, jobs, health, hospital and clinics, your questions about the poor and dilapidated roads that we have.”
The MDC has come under fire for focussing on petty politics to do with fights for government and party positions.
The party has also been involved in internal fights while failing to mount a more formidable challenge against the ruling Zanu PF party.
Chamisa, in particular, has been singled out as a weaker link within MDC which saw a plunge of fortunes in the 2014 elections when he was party national organising secretary.
MDC also lost a significant amount of political territory in the 2018 elections when Chamisa took over as president.
The main opposition has in the recent past also lost territory to Zanu PF as was recently witnessed by its shock defeat to its main rival in the Cowdray Park council by-election. – NewZim
