CHINHOYI – Tensions continue to mount in MDC-Alliance amid revelations that six Chinhoyi councillors who survived last year’s purges by MDC-T now led by Mr Douglas Mwonzora are squabbling over the recently held mayoral election in which at least one of them voted for the Zanu PF candidate on a secret ballot.
The opposition party’s candidate, Councillor Garikai Dendera, won the election by one vote against Zanu PF’s Clr Voster Mashevedzanwa.
But the MDC has six councillors against Zanu PF’s two, so at least one MDC councillors voted with Zanu PF but no one knows which one since it was a secret ballot.
Mayoral elections were held after former mayor Dyke Makumbe and his deputy Chipo Mlotshwa, were recalled by the MDC-T alongside six other councillors in December last year.
While the MDC might have won the election to replace the mayor and his deputy, sources claim there was a serious witch-hunt as the councillors are accusing each other of “selling out”.
Sources close to the developments said the fissures widened during the party’s district meeting held at their offices on Sunday.
“All is not well in the party and yesterday (Sunday), hell almost broke loose when the six remaining councillors accused each other of being sell-outs during the election to replace the mayor and his deputy.
“The problem is that it was a secret ballot hence there is no way they can tell who really voted for the Zanu PF candidate for position of mayor,” said the source.
The source added there was no executive caucus meeting prior to the election to deliberate on who the party was going to choose as the party’s senior councillor.
Alderman Blackman Nyangairo, it is understood to have expressed interest in contesting but is also suspected as having voted against his own party’s candidate.
Interestingly, Alderman Nyangairo did not attend the weekend meeting, but denied voting for the Zanu PF candidate. MDC-A Mashonaland West provincial chairperson, Mr Ralph Magunje, yesterday confirmed the tensions and said the party had conducted its own investigations to ascertain the allegations. – Herald
