'I'm not hiding,' says Welshman Ncube

MDC leader Welshman Ncube yesterday defended his disappearance from the public scene after his party suffered a heavy defeat in the July 31 elections saying he is restrategising.

Ncube, who had the highest number of followers among Zimbabwean politicians on microblogging site Twitter and was also very active on social networking site Facebook going into the elections, had suddenly become silent.

The former united MDC secretary-general only changed his Twitter profile on Sunday September 22 from Industry and Commerce minister to former minister and Zimbabwean MDC president, advocate and professor at law.

Ncube's retreat into seclusion has fuelled speculation he was pondering his political future after a dismal performance in the elections.

However, he told Southern Eye yesterday that he was still very much active politically.

"I've not disappeared from anywhere," Ncube said.

"This time is for internal party work, including serious reflection and analysis as we seek greater understanding and new strategies. We are doing a lot of it.

"When it is time to go outside party work and do public work, you will hear and see us. We don't communicate internal party conversations through the social media."

The MDC has been in turmoil with the party's Matabeleland South provincial chairperson Petros Mukwena pushing for the immediate recall of secretary-general Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga from the National Assembly claiming her selection was irregular.

Misihairabwi-Mushonga was transferred to Matabeleland South from her initial Glen Norah constituency in Harare and subsequently included on the party's list for the women's quota in Parliament under the new proportional representation system.

She voted in Mawabeni, Umzingwane district, in the July 31 elections.

But Ncube moved to dismiss complaints against Misihairabwi-Mushonga saying her nomination was done above board.

"I have never heard of an election in which candidates are fielded after the election.

"In our system, candidates are nominated through the nomination courts before and not after elections," Ncube said in response to Mukwena's demands.

MDC deputy president Edwin Mushoriwa backed Ncube saying his boss was waiting for the party to hold post mortem meetings and come up with the way forward.

"The party has not gone quiet," Mushoriwa said.

"As you know, the July 31 results were like a tsunami.

"The magnitude of rigging in the election was incredible, so we are reorganising ourselves and repositioning for 2018.

"We have had a meeting of our standing committee that has digested the outcome of the elections.

"We will be meeting again before holding provincial meetings.

"I would not say the president has taken a back seat.

"We are a democratic party that supports democratic practices.

"Strategically, he is waiting for the consultations within the whole party so that when he appears, he will state the party position," Mushoriwa added.

The MDC failed to win any contested seat in the elections, with the party only securing four; two in the Senate and the others in the National Assembly, through the proportional representation system.