Chaos deepens in Ncube’s MDC

By Jeffrey Muvundusi

BULAWAYO – The Welshman Ncube-led MDC appears to be hurtling deeper into a political sandstorm after the party suspended its Pumula Constituency district structures last week. 

It emerged on Thursday that the dissolution comes a few days after the party fired its Matabeleland South provincial chairperson Petros Mukwena over allegations of spearheading a recall of party secretary-general Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga from the National Assembly.

Mukwena, who was suspended from the party for indiscipline ahead of the July 31 elections, last week said he refused to appear before a disciplinary hearing he deemed biased.

While the Misihairabwi-Mushonga’s issue has threatened to split the party early this month, the party accepted the resignation of Qhubani Moyo who was the director of policy and research co-ordination in the beleaguered party.

The performance of the party in the last elections has prompted political analysts to envisage a bleak future if the leadership fails to properly deal with the problems.

Yesterday, Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Edwin Ndlovu confirmed to the Daily News that all was not well in the opposition party.

“After receiving numerous reports of complainants from Pumula district ward 17, 19 and 27, the Bulawayo province has resolved to dissolve the Pumula district committee,” Ndlovu said.

He said the dissolution meant that district chairperson Losiya Chamisa Ncube and organising secretary Nqobizitha Moyo had been suspended pending appearance before the disciplinary committee. Top among the accusations was disrespecting the party leader.

Party president Ncube has, however, maintained a low profile since his party received a disorienting rout in the July 31 elections where he failed to scrounge a single parliamentary seat.

“Complaints against the committee include accusations of deliberately sabotaging the party’s campaign in the run up to July 31 elections by creating divisions among party members, de-campaigning the party president, hiding campaign material and refusing to adhere to countless requests by district and ward members to call for post-election meetings,” Ndlovu said.

He said the provincial leadership resolved that the behaviour of the committee was against the party’s constitution hence the suspension. Daily News