HARARE – MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora is increasingly being isolated within his party, amid suspicions that he could be eyeing Nelson Chamisa’s job.
Mwonzora, who defeated Chamisa at the MDC congress in November 2014, is widely seen as an alternative to the MDC Alliance leader, with his levelheadedness earning him rave views from unlikely quarters – Zanu PF.
Lately, there have been allegations that he could be hobnobbing with Zanu PF elements. This was especially so, after the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association pushed him to challenge Chamisa for the MDC leadership.
At the party’s national council meeting on Wednesday, informed sources told the Daily News that some officials were baying for his blood, although they lacked the courage of their convictions to take him head on.
“There were whispers calling for the head of Mwonzora and it was the president who actually silenced them, saying the party’s problems were not internal but external and called for unity among all.
“However, there is a strong feeling that Mwonzora should be relieved of his duties because he wants power and wants to remove the president. For now, he is in the
party because Chamisa is holding the hounds back,” said the source.
Contacted for comment, the MDC secretary-general said he was not the best person to comment on the issue.
“I am not really interested in that. Nobody raised that question, why don’t you ask the party’s chairperson. The issue was not raised and even so I am the last person you can talk to,” said Mwonzora.
MDC national chairperson Morgen Komichi said they might have been whispers to that effect but the issue of Mwonzora was never formally raised.
“There was never anything of that nature, it was not discussed formally,” said Komichi.
After narrowly losing the race for the presidency to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF, the MDC is going through a soul-searching phase and there are some who are pushing for an early congress to exorcise the demons of the harrowing defeat.
Chamisa has refused to accept Mnangagwa’s win but another camp within the MDC has been pushing for the acceptance of the results.
Komichi insisted yesterday that there were no divisions within the MDC.
“We have no divisions in the MDC. We know that there are some who want to divide us but for now our concern is one and that is the rigging of elections and we are looking at reforms, we want political reforms to remove the capture of State institutions by Zanu PF,” said Komichi.
Chamisa, 40, emerged as the new leader of the MDC following Morgan Tsvangirai’s death on February 14 at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer.
