Collapse of unity talks forced former MP and 21 others to defect
By Lance Guma
03 August 2007.

Political defections in Zimbabwe’s muddied opposition waters continue to be one-way traffic. On Thursday Silas Mangono, a former opposition legislator for Masvingo, defected from the Mutambara MDC to rejoin the party led by founding President Morgan Tsvangirai. He becomes one of dozens who have jumped ship in the past 22 months. Mangono was the secretary for education in the Mutambara camp. Also defecting was Shaky Matake, the chairman of the party’s Masvingo Province, who took 20 other executive committee members with him.

Speaking to Newsreel on Friday Mangono said the collapse of unity talks between the two sides forced him to quit the Mutambara MDC. ‘I strongly subscribe to the view that only a united front will be able to unseat Zanu PF in the next general elections. The people speak everyday of the need for unity,’ he said. Mangono said a lot of party members took a grim view of the decision to leave the Save Zimbabwe Campaign and go it alone in the 2008 elections and warned that many more were set to follow him. He said because of logistical problems they could not bring everyone who defected to the Harare reunion but that they would hold a rally in Masvingo to give a chance for the many others who want to pledge their support for the party.

Speaking for the Mutambara MDC, Priscilla Misihairambwi Mushonga the deputy secretary general said they would not lose sleep over those who had defected. Acrimony over whether to participate in senate elections in October 2005 led to the party splitting into two groups that are currently using the same MDC name. Former party deputy secretary general Gift Chimanikire, ANZ chairman Sam Sipepa Nkomo, Kwekwe legislator Blessing Chebundo, the late party chairman Isaac Matongo and dozens other party officials have jumped ship at different intervals.