THE MDC’s Bulawayo province has integrated all party cadres who contested and lost during the party’s provincial congress in a move aimed at uniting the party, spokesperson Swithern Chirowodza said at the weekend.
The move follows divisions that rocked the party in the province in the run-up to the party’s May congress with losing candidates demanding that the results be nullified.
Following the elections, 12 losing provincial executive aspirants including provincial chairman aspirant and Nketa legislator Phelela Masuku wrote a letter to the party‘s national executive calling for the nullification of the provincial congress results citing rigging among other irregularities.
But in an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, Chirowodza said the integration involved all the party’s structures.
“Bulawayo province has fully integrated those who contested for provincial administrative committee positions at the last provincial congress held on 18 April 2019. This is a magnanimous position,” said Chirowodza soon after the party‘s provincial assembly meeting held in the city Friday.
Chirowodza said the previous congress saw a winner-take-all bargain.
“This time we compromised. The integration has been successfully done across all the three wings. Those who have been integrated are yet to be assigned executive positions but they are already in the provincial executive committee,” said the spokesperson.
Chirowodza added that the integration also took on board the majority of people from ethnic group that felt sidelined.
Among those integrated included Masuku who lost the provincial chairmanship post to Makokoba Member of Parliament James Sithole.
Others co-opted in the national executive also include Mpopoma MP Charles Moyo, former Pumula MP Albert Mhlanga, and former Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Aldermen Mpofu.
