Zimbabwean Movement for Democratic Change’s deputy youth leader, Shakespeare Mukoyi, has reportedly revealed the “dirty machinations” that were used “to propel the party’s new leadership following the death of its long-time leader Morgan Tsvangirai”.
According to NewsDay, Mukoyi, who is also the leader of the self-confessed militia within the party – the Vanguard – dropped the bombshell following claims that there was a plot to block him from contesting the Kuwadzana east constituency.
He claimed that the constituency had apparently been given to him by the party’s presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa, as a “token of appreciation” after he he helped him ascend to the party’s presidency.
Mukoyi said that when Tsvangirai was on his deathbed early this year, the party leadership approached him asking if he could engineer Chamisa’s ascendancy. During that time, other MDC-T co-vice-presidents Elias Mudzuri and Thokozani Khupe were also angling to take over the position.
He said that he was approached by the party’s deputy national treasurer Charlton Hwende who was now also contesting the Kuwadzana east constituency against him.
New leadership
“During the time when Tsvangirai was on his deathbed, my brother Hwende and other leaders approached me saying the situation was bad and the party needed new leadership.
“They told me that the work that they were about to do had to be done by the youth assembly, especially the Vanguard, which they are now dismissing as thugs today. We fought to bring sanity in the party until we had this hierarchy that we are having today,” Mukoyi was quoted as saying.
The MDC has been paralysed by disagreements over who should have succeeded Tsvangirai, who died of cancer on February 14.
Khuphe has reportedly refused to recognise the recent appointment of Chamisa as the substantive party leader.
She has in recent months been attacked by young people who are allegedly linked to Chamisa.
