Masvingo-based MDC defectors attend inaugural Zanu PF PCC meeting
By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Politics |
Former opposition MDC senior leaders in Masvingo who defected to Zanu PF attended the ruling party’s inaugural provincial coordinating committee meeting on Sunday.
Ex-Masvingo Urban MDC Alliance MP and former deputy minister Tongai Matutu, former MDC Senator James Makore, ex-MDC stalwart in Zaka William Zivenge, and businessman Pascal Mudzikisi who contested the 2018 elections as an independent candidate attended the Zanu PF PCC meeting at Great Zimbabwe University School of Education Complex in Masvingo on Sunday.
When Matutu joined Zanu PF last year, he claimed the main opposition party “in its various forms” had lost direction, wasting time bickering among themselves.
Recently, former MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu and former opposition MDC Alliance Senator for Chitungwiza James Makore formally joined Zanu PF and were paraded at State House by Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
Former MDC-T official Blessing Chebundo who twice beat Emmerson Mnangagwa in successive parliamentary polls and MDC Alliance treasurer Lillian Timveos two months ago defected to the ruling party claiming there was “nothing constructive with regards to democracy, good governance and the well-being of Zimbabweans in general, would ever come out of the MDC Alliance.”
But the main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa last week apologised for getting it wrong on candidate selection admitting they recruited opportunistic “job seeker” MPs who have cost the party, with some defecting to the smaller MDC-T and ruling Zanu PF in search of opportunities.
“That is why I am now apologising to the people of Zimbabwe to say that we had not thought through the processes of our candidate selection, and that is why we have to go back to the drawing board to say we don’t have a party candidate, but a community candidate, a collective ethic and converged process run by community and opinion-makers as opposed to a political party because these processes produce candidates who do not have their loyalty in communities and to the people,” Chamisa said.
Renowned novelist and filmmaker, Tsitsi Dangarembga a few weeks ago told the BBC that opposition officials who are defecting to the ruling Zanu PF party are doing so to secure their personal financial survival.
“The other side of it is that people have to earn a living. Generally, politicians in Zimbabwe are not people with qualifications to do anything but politics. They tend also to be business people,” said Dangarembga.
“In order to be able to flourish in the arena of politics they have to have a source of income. Now, if Zanu PF is in this hegemonical position where they control everything including the economy and business, it means that if you are in the opposition you have no chance of survival.” Nehanda Radio
