MDC President Welshman Ncube has denied any personal vendettas or blocking top party politician and MP, Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga from a possible return to parliament on a party ticket.
The two are former allies who once constituted the MDC negotiating team during talks to form the country’s short-lived unity government 2008.
Relations took a knock in 2015 when the former MDC secretary general was forced to abandon her job, claiming relentless social media abuse by party followers.
The two were also linked to a rift which arose after Misihairabwi-Mushonga reportedly expressed reservations over her boss seeking to lead the abortive MDC Reunion, which was planned between MDC breakaway factions led by Ncube and Tendai Biti.
Reports of their fall-out were rekindled by the firebrand politician’s conspicuous omission from a list of MDC candidates for parliamentary elections this July.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga inadvertently confirmed the tiff in a Facebook post two weeks ago in which she lamented her omission from a list of party candidates.
But Ncube told NewZimbabwe.com Wednesday there has not been a deliberate ploy to shut the former regional integration minister out, adding that she had not applied to be considered for selection.
The former industry minister said his party was yet to know of its proportional representation slots within the MDC Alliance and that Misihairabwi-Mushonga was free to apply.
Ncube said there was an unnecessary fixation with Misihairabwi-Mushonga when the party had three other sitting legislators with two of them also missing from the MDC candidate list as they were eying a return to the house through the proportional representation window.
Asked if at all they have vendettas against each other, Ncube responded, “Over what! You know it’s a matter of public record that various people over the last 5 years demanded the sacking of Priscilla as being a member of parliament for Matebeleland South.
“The (Moses, former MDC Secretary General) Mzilas of this world left because they were at loggerheads with me for refusing to accept Priscilla being removed.
“From day one, who has protected Priscilla from being recalled!? Repeatedly and repeatedly in the last 4 years. Have the demands for her to leave not been contained up to this day?!
“I am the only thing, over 5 years, which stood between her and being recalled. Is that the conduct of a person who has a vendetta against someone?” – NewZim
