THE opposition MDC will not act against its members accused of flouting congress procedures by campaigning openly before the official start of canvassing, ahead of the May elective indaba, party secretary general Douglas Mwonzora has said.
April 27, has been set as the date for official start of campaigning, by the MDC standing committee but posters of candidates are already doing the rounds on various social media platforms.
Mwonzora who was speaking in a telephone interview with NewZimbabwe.com, said he did not think the party will punish its wayward members.
“The campaign officially starts on 27 April according to the national standing committee, giving candidates just about three weeks to campaign. However we have realised that other people have already started campaigning.
“I really do not see anything being done to those who have gone against the directive and started campaigning. I really do not think any action will be taken against them at all,” said Mwonzora.
The opposition party secretary general is reportedly mulling challenging current leader Nelson Chamisa for the presidency at the congress.
But Mwonzora has kept his cards close to his chest, carefully refusing to disclose whether he will contest for the top job. The closest he has come to announcing his candidature was, when he was quoted as having said “I have every right to contest for any position for which I will be nominated.”
Chamisa’s presidency has already been endorsed by the MDC’s Harare provincial youth assembly who declared anyone thinking of challenging the party leader “an enemy of the people.”
Reports claim Chamisa, Mwonzora and former Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary general, Wellington Chibhebhe, will lock horns for the biggest job in the country’s opposition in May.
Mwonzora beat Chamisa for the position of secretary general in October 2014 before the latter was elevated to vice president by the later founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai in 2016. – NewZim
