‘MDC growing divisions over approach to confront ZANU PF’ – Report




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HARARE – The embattled main opposition party the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC ) led by Nelson Chamisa is said to be divided on the best approach to confront the ruling Zanu PF party as the country’s economy continues to slide into the abyss.

The likes of Tendai Biti and Job Sikhala, party vice president and vice chairman respectively, are believed to be agitating for direct confrontation with ZANU PF while Chamisa favours a non-violent confrontational approach.

An unnamed senior MDC official who spoke to Zim Morning Post is quoted as saying that the soft-stance approach will not yield results and the party has been waiting for a signal from Chamisa.

A political analyst, Michael Dama told the publication that “the Biti faction” has proved to be very radical. He said:

If you take a close look in the MDC the Biti faction is very radical and he has people like Sikhala who was arrested last year and during his trial, the Masvingo court chambers were always filled to capacity and on the acquittal day, there was a massive demonstration.

The Zimbabwean government has always responded with brute force when citizens stage protests on the street, with the events of August 1, 2018, and January 2019 proving that demonstrators should be prepared to pay the ultimate price.

Meanwhile, MDC Youth Assembly spokesperson Stephen Chuma has refuted claims that there are divisions within the party over the best approach to confront the ruling ZANU PF party.

Chuma told Zim Morning Post that contrary to those claims, party members are fully behind party president Nelson Chamisa as they believe that he is the best person to take the party forward. Said Chuma:

We are very united and fully behind our President Nelson Chamisa, there are no divisions in the party and you already know that the President finished addressing all our provinces.

The message is people are fed up with Emmerson Mnangagwa regime and they are unanimous and unambiguous that only President Chamisa is our best foot forward.

Reports from some quarters had claimed that some MDC officials, among them vice president Tendai Biti and vice-chairman Job Sikhala favour a full-blown confrontation with ZANU PF while Chamisa prefers a non-violent approach.

More: Zim Morning Post