Brian Mangwende, News Editor

THE smaller faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-M) lurched into its worst crisis since breaking away from the MDC-T after scores of senior officials dumped the party this week accusing its leader — Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara — of blindly supporting ZANU-PF’s policies.

At the time of going to print yesterday, there were reports of massive defections from the MDC-M in four of the country’s political provinces, namely, Manicaland, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central.
This development comes almost a month after other key figures within the Mutambara camp, namely, Job Sikhala (secretary for defence and security) and Nkayi West legislator Abednico Bhebhe, quit the faction in a huff after being suspended for undermining the party’s leadership.
The outbursts by Sikhala and Bhebhe also precipitated the suspension of Njabuliso Mguni (MP for Lupane North), Norman Mpofu (Bulilima East), commercial farmer Alex Goosen and national youth chairperson, Gift Nyandoro, who allegedly supported the pair’s sentiments.
By-elections will soon be held in the affected constituencies in accordance with Zimbabwe’s electoral laws.
MDC-M provincial spokesperson for Manicaland, Webster Muzulu, told The Financial Gazette this week that his executive met recently and resolved to abandon Mutambara except for the chairperson Gift Rusanga and one Muza.
Muzulu also identified Vaida Mutigwa, Clayton Ndlovu and Hurbert Mahute as some of the MDC-M national members from Manicaland who dumped the former university student leader cum politician.
“We organised for all founder members of the MDC-M to leave Mutambara at a meeting we held at Moffat Hall recently. We replaced Gift with Muchawaya and Muza with Timothy Mushonga,” Muzulu said.
“All other positions were not affected. The reason for this was that we had become an extension of ZANU-PF. But we are now breathing fresh air (into the party).
“Currently, we are in Penhalonga (Mutasa South Constituency) drumming up support and explaining to the grassroots why we have left Mutambara. We don’t need guests to the party masquerading as politicians.”
Peter Liwanda, the provincial spokesperson for Mashonaland West said MDC-M supporters in the province were angry with the national executive members for sidelining them in national projects.
“I can’t say how many have left, but I can confirm that there is disgruntlement in as far as how the party is being run,” Liwanda said.
“There is lack of grassroots activities and the national executive is to blame. We held a meeting last week and people are disgruntled. But for now, I can’t say how many exactly have deserted the leadership.”
MDC-M Mashonaland East provincial chairperson Tangisai Mandaza and an official in Mashonaland Central also revealed this week that the party was going through a rough patch after being deserted by its members.
Mutambara was furious when contacted by The Financial Gazette for comment saying the coverage given to the “rebels” led by Sikhala, the former St Mary’s legislator, was “unwarranted”.
In March this year, this newspaper broke the story of an imminent split of the MDC-M after Sikhala and other disgruntled members went on an anti-Mutambara crusade.
Edwin Mushoriwa said the party had not received any letters of resignation yet.
“However, I would like to apologise for my principal’s behaviour towards you. Journalists should be allowed to do their job unhindered and get to the bottom of any story,” said Mushoriwa.
As the political intrigues within Mutambara’s party continues, two more MDC-M lawmakers face disciplinary action for alleged misconduct after they reportedly voted for Lovemore Moyo of the MDC-T to be Speaker of Parliament last year in a development that could spawn defections within the party.
The two are Maxwell Dube (Tsholotsho South) and Thandeko Mkanda (Gwanda North).
Ahead of the elections, the MDC-M had struck an alliance with ZANU-PF to vote for Paul Themba-Nyathi as Speaker of the august House in August 2008, but the plan went awry after its MPs threw their weight behind Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T.
Moyo won 110 votes against 98 for Themba-Nyathi.
MDC-M insiders said Mutambara should tread carefully because the Global Political Agreement (GPA) does not stop independent candidates from standing in by-elections.
“Although, the GPA says no other party within the unity pact can contest the other one’s seat in the event that it falls vacant, the law does not state that independent candidates cannot stand,” an insider said.
“Mutambara must not feel cushioned by the GPA. If these MPs he is harassing decide to quit his party and stand as independent candidates, chances are that they will retain their seats and the MDC-M’s seats in Parliament will be cut significantly. He must be careful or he will be rendered irrelevant,” added the MDC-M insider.
The chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Justice George Chiweshe said the GPA was a political settlement among the three main parties and its contents did not bind any other party that is not a signatory to the pact.
“If there is a vacancy, the GPA does not stop any other party or independent (candidate) to contest in a by-election,” Chiweshe said. “The agreement is only among the three signatories and it doesn’t stop anyone outside the GPA from contesting a vacant seat. It only stops candidates from the three signatories’ parties contesting each other. It’s an internal arrangement and does not impinge on the rights of those outside the GPA.”
At a rally held in Emlonyeni earlier this month, the suspended MPs took turns to attack Mutambara and other senior MDC leaders.