Ncube denies conniving with Mbeki to split MDC

Posted by on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 in MDC-N, Zimbabwe politics | 8 comments

By Lance Guma
01 February 2012

Professor Welshman Ncube

Professor Welshman Ncube has once again denied claims contained in a book by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai that he and former South African President Thabo Mbeki connived to split the MDC into two factions in 2005.

In the book ‘At the Deep End’ Tsvangirai claims that Mbeki was a central player in hatching a plot that would have seen an MDC faction led by Ncube forming an alliance with the ZANU PF faction led by Emmerson Mnangagwa. Ncube is said to have held several secret meetings with members of Mnangagwa’s faction.

Speaking to SW Radio Africa’s Question Time programme on Wednesday, Ncube said it was ‘preposterous’ and ‘ridiculous’ to suggest that they were willing to work with Mnangagwa.

“You really need to be an idiot to believe that one of the architects of the murders committed by the CIO (Central Intelligence Organisation) in the early eighties could be the person we would enter into a pact with to secure Ndebele interests,” Ncube said.

Explaining his relationship with Mbeki, Ncube said: “As a person I have known President Mbeki since he was External Secretary of the ANC (African National Congress) during the days they were fighting against apartheid. I have known him since he was coming to the law faculty to coordinate the South African ANC students that were training in the law school.”

Ncube said there was nothing ‘unhealthy’ about this relationship and when part of the then MDC leadership had a fall out with Tsvangirai, over whether to participate in senate elections in 2005, they travelled to South Africa hoping Mbeki would mediate. The decision to approach Mbeki was at the suggestion of party supporters, he claimed.

In his book Tsvangirai also claimed that his colleagues, like Ncube “were simply riding on my popularity, in the forlorn hope that part of it would rub off on to them. They were uncomfortable with me as a person and a leader and I sensed that they wanted to build their political careers using Tsvangirai as a seat warmer who could ultimately be dislodged as soon as the right opportunity presented itself. Little did they know how easily I saw through that.”

Given how Ncube’s party had performed in the 2008 elections after the split, Ncube was asked if Tsvangirai’s assessment had been vindicated seeing most of them had lost their parliamentary seats. Ncube said Tsvangirai as a ‘brand’ benefited from being party leader and that it was them as the rank and file of the party leadership who had helped to build him up.

 

  • Never moyo

    Of course Mbeki would do that. In fact he worked hard to get rid of MDC. Mbeki wants to preserve a certain agenda…..which has become a liability. Ncube, pardon me…the learned professor is being used by dark forces. He is a stooge for Mbeki and his people.

  • Anonymous

    He may be able to fool me but he ain’t fooling them horse flies

    • 3gsctbde

      Hapana apa shamwari. Chimbido Warvet is the truth. He says it
      as it is.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2B6JI5U2SZUVMTSY667ZANCXUM Gift

    He indeed convined with Mugabe to bring in Guseni Oliver Mutambara and damage the people’s struggle. Why did he campaign for AGO not to succeed Christopher Chetsanga at SIRDC? This guy is so calculating and dangerous if not handled with caution.He will never agree to this but those who know, will testify how crafty he can be especially at boardroom level.

    Gift K.Mawire

  • Samsonmolatole

    after all Ncube is not a politician!

  • Chimbido Warvet

    This is laughable. What popularity is the Prime Minister talking about when for all we know he and his colleagues have joined the grave train of President Mugabe? They have all been corrupted since joining the so-called inclusive government and have been singing the same chorus with ZANU PF. The MDC and ZANU PF are now like the two sides of the same coin whose only difference is in name. Their mannerisms are the same in that their leaders are all about amassing political power and wealth while doing little for the man in the street. The President of Zimbabwe has been accused of eloping with someone’s wife while his Prime Minister has been accused of impregnating two women he has since abandoned and are now fending for themselves. This obviously does not make any politician popular. In most civilized countries Prime Minister Tsvangirai would have been asked to step down for his sexual indiscretion. Zimbabwe needs another viable political party that will take us to the promised land.

    • Anonymous

      What a yawn Chimbido. Try dreaming again

  • Chimbido Warvet

    This is laughable. What popularity is the Prime Minister talking about when for all we know he and his colleagues have joined the gravy train of President Mugabe? They have all been corrupted since joining the so-called inclusive government and have been singing the same chorus with ZANU PF. The MDC and ZANU PF are now like the two sides of the same coin whose only difference is in name. Their mannerisms are the same in that their leaders are all about amassing political power and wealth while doing little for the man in the street. The President of Zimbabwe has been accused of eloping with someone’s wife while his Prime Minister has been accused of impregnating two women he has since abandoned and are now fending for themselves. This obviously does not make any politician popular. In most civilized countries Prime Minister Tsvangirai would have been asked to step down for his sexual indiscretion. Zimbabwe needs another viable political party that will take us to the promised land.