THE MDC has invited to its congress, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s party and former Vice President Thokozani Khupe, now leader of a rival party breakaway faction, MDC-T.
The Nelson Chamisa led mainstream MDC heads for its elective congress weekend next week to replace late founding party leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai left a leadership vacuum that ignited a scramble to replace him with Chamisa, stampeding his co-VPs, Khupe and Elias Mudzuri to lay claim of the top MDC job.
His leadership has since been declared illegal by the High Court, which ordered the main opposition to return to its 2014 structures in which Chamisa and Mudzuri remained unelected and were just national executive members.
At a media briefing in Harare Friday, MDC remained defiant, insisting it was proceeding with its Gweru elective congress even when doubt on the eligibility of the process has been cast by the recent court ruling.
That was not the only surprise as the party went on to invite its Zanu PF rivals and Khupe.
“We invited all political parties in Zimbabwe, Zanu PF included,” said party organising secretary Amos Chibaya.
“We also invited war veterans, the likes of Cde (Victor) Matemadanda and company. We also invited chiefs through honourable Chief Charumbira, the president of the Chiefs’ Council.
“She (Khupe) was invited because she belongs to MDC-T.”
Added party spokesperson Jacob Mafume, “We know that Zanu PF likes to peep; it is a peeping Tom. We know that even if we had not invited them, they would be there. So we have invited them. The organising secretary can confirm.”
It would come as a surprise if any Zanu PF representative will attend an MDC congress. Moreso, in the current hostile scenario in which the opposition accuses President Mnangagwa and his party of underhand attempts to torpedo a Chamisa rise through allegedly sponsoring the court ruling that delegitimised the 41-year-old politician.
The presence of a Zanu PF face at an MDC event is however not too far-fetched.
Zanu PF top politician, Oppah Muchinguri last year attended Tsvangirai’s funeral in her capacity as party chairperson.
On the other hand, MDC has been boycotting national events such as the Independence Day which are presided over by Mnangagwa.
