The “sell-outs”, according to party insiders, were working with ruling Zanu-PF party and military intelligence operatives in monitoring top opposition leaders’ movements in the wake of flash protests across the country.
Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda confirmed efforts to destabilise the party, adding the MDC leadership had identified the alleged “sell-outs”.
“The issue of infiltration is a public secret. Obviously, Zanu-PF always has paid some people some money to destabilise the organisation. They have always done that and there is nothing new,” he said.
“They want us to think about that, but we have issues to think about that and regardless of Zanu-PF shenanigans, president Chamisa is moving forward with the ship.”
Sibanda said it was an issue to divert attention by Zanu-PF and those within the party who were desperate to find a “soft landing”.
But Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Obert Mpofu, denied reports that his party was sponsoring chaos in the MDC.
“It is them making allegations. If they are so gullible to be sponsored by other parties, then it is just an admission that they are actually not a people’s party. If they were, indeed, a people’s project, they wouldn’t be worried about all those things.”
MDC sources said they were aware of who was behind the chaos, naming some senior members who were reportedly working with some within Zanu-PF and the military intelligence to destabilise the party.
A senior MDC official yesterday said: “It is known that there is a person in the organisation who invokes Chamisa’s name each time he runs into problems within the organisation.
“His attitude is that he should go down with Chamisa and the party and hold the organisation to ransom to say if you do this, I will act that way, but that is now known.”
Observers said a letter written by the party’s secretary-general Chalton Hwende last week giving the party’s deputy secretary for international relations, Douglas Mwonzora, a final warning over his alleged taking of party issues to social media was clear indication of a serious rift within the MDC.
There were also reports that the party’s secretary for strategy and implementation in Chamisa’s office, Morgen Komichi, had resigned citing frustration and being overlooked by the youthful leader despite vigorously campaigning for him ahead of the party’s congress last year.
Komichi, however, denied that he had resigned or was being frustrated, saying his absence from some of the meetings was because of other commitments.
“People are lying, it is just a lie. Everything is a lie and I even attend party programmes, unless when I am tied up somewhere, but those are all lies,” he said.
Responding on micro-blogging site Twitter on Komichi’s alleged resignation, Chamisa said: “I am not aware of any of such. Remember that public entities are voluntary entities. Members sign up and resign. This is normal in all voluntary organisations. Our opposition is working 24/7 to portray the people’s party as an entity in turmoil. MDC is a people’s party.”
