MDC ALLIANCE spokesperson and leader of the MDC, Welshman Ncube has sensationally claimed that some power-hungry MDC-T officials had embarked on a mission to derail the coalition project after they were left out of the parliamentary race.
BY SILAS NKALA
Ncube, who doubles as MDC leader, during a campaign rally in Gwanda on Saturday cited MDC-T officials in Matabeleland South province as the chief culprits. He said the officials in the area, particularly those who wanted to be considered for parliamentary seats, had threatened to rock the boat after the seats were allocated to other alliance partners.
Ncube said the country’s first free election was held in 2008 when his MDC party won seven seats in Matabeleland South while the then Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC-T got two parliamentary seats.
“The MDC green won seven seats in Matabeleland South, these are Gwanda North, Gwanda Central, uMzingwane, Insiza South, Bulilima East, Bulilima West and Mangwe. In the MDC Alliance agreement they were allocated to MDC green,” Ncube said.
“MDC-T in 2008 won Matobo North and South constituencies and these were allocated to MDC-T. We then said if it is like that, it is not balancing and we agreed to remove some of the seats from MDC green and allocate them to MDC–T. We removed uMzingwane, Mangwe and Tsvangirai said their provincial chairman is in Bulilima East and asked that they get the seat and we allocated the seat to MDC-T.”
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Ncube said his MDC was left with four seats in Matabeleland South which are Gwanda North, Gwanda Central, Insiza South and Bulilima West.
“When we went for alliance agreement signing in Harare, that is what is written down. Today, there has emerged gluttons who do not care how we should remove (President Emmerson) Mnangagwa. They say ‘If I do not go to Parliament, this (alliance) must collapse. It’s better to go around and tell people not to attend the (Alliance) rallies because I want to go to Parliament.’ If you are doing that, you are like a man who goes to steal in order to pay a bride price.”
Ncube said of the alliance was there to enable opposition parties to mount a joint challenge against Mnangagwa and facilitate MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa’s ascendancy to State House.
“Wherever we go, people are commending us for uniting and are urging us to continue. They are saying what they see is that Zanu PF will be defeated and it is a shock that someone wants to disrupt the process. The nomination court will seat soon and that is when the solution will come by. We will organise and strategise and those who want to disturb will be embarrassed when we reveal who the candidates of the alliance are,” Ncube said.
“In our culture, greediness is evil and even Zanu PF destroyed this country because of greed that is why today we have bond notes.”
Ncube described Chamisa as “a young man with wisdom and foresight that sees beyond mountains”.
“Chamisa is an active young man who has caught the nation by storm. How will you assist him that he is not cheated during this election? There is no one who doubts that there are people to vote for him, it is obvious people are there, but the question is what you will do to prevent him from being cheated. What will you do so that soldiers do not stage another coup?” Ncube rhetorically asked.
Ncube urged the alliance candidates to have intelligent and vigilant agents capable of preventing rigging in polling stations especially during vote counting. “That is why I am angry that some people are discouraging others to attend meetings because they want to go to Parliament against the agreement principles,” he said.