By Tichaona Sibanda
Tracy Mutinhiri, a former ZANU PF deputy minister and MP for Marondera East joined the MDC-T a few days after she was expelled from the former ruling party in August last year, a source said on Thursday.
The party only made a formal announcement of her move on Wednesday. A senior MDC-T official in Marondera told SW Radio Africa that his party decided against announcing her switch at the time, fearing for her safety.
“There were still emotions running high at the time and it was decided by the party leadership to let things calm down before making the announcement. But otherwise it has been an open secret in Mashonaland East that Mutinhiri was one of ours and has been active in the party the whole of this year,” the MDC-T official said.
Nelson Chamisa, the organising secretary of the MDC-T said his party was excited that “there is now consensus in the country that the only game in town is the people’s party of excellence and choice—the MDC.”
“We welcome her to the people’s party and we expect more senior ZANU PF officials to defect,” Chamisa added.
Mutinhiri, whose former husband Ambrose is a retired brigadier, diplomat and ex-cabinet minister is believed to harbour intentions of standing as an MDC-T MP in the next general elections. There are suggestions that if she wins the party primaries, she might want to contest in her old constituency.
It’s believed she has a huge following of supporters from both ZANU PF and MDC and that it would work to her advantage if she manages to persuade those from her former party to vote for her.
Trouble for the former deputy minister of Labour and Social Welfare began when she attended her brother’s burial, an MDC supporter in 2010. Innocent Muzuva died in a car crash in Zhombe on his way from celebrations to mark the 11th anniversary of the MDC in Gokwe. Mutinhiri spoke glowingly about the MDC for giving his brother a hero’s send off at the funeral attended by party leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Following that, she was vilified by her party and at one time claimed that State Security Minister Sydney Sekeramayi was behind the plot to expel her from ZANU PF. SW Radio Africa
