Ncube's MDC faction increasingly becoming irrelevant - say The Standard

The MDC formation led by Professor Welshman Ncube was once touted as kingmakers in Zimbabwe's polarised political environment, but analysts believe the party is increasingly becoming irrelevant due to splits and continued defections of senior party officials.

Recently, five legislators reportedly ditched Ncube's faction joining the one loyal to Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara. The move came hardly a day after at least 20 Zanu PF and MDC-T legislators walked out of Parliament protesting against Ncube's expulsion of Deputy Speaker Nomalanga Khumalo from MDC.

Khumalo has since been named Mutambara's deputy. Other legislators who defected are Tsholotsho South MP, Maxwell Dube, Gwanda North's Thandeko Mnkandla, Umzingwane Senator and Lupane Senator.

Social commentator and economic rights activist, Hopewell Gumbo said the defections were nothing to write home about. Gumbo said unless the coalition government was extended, both the Ncube and Mutambara factions could disappear from the mainstream political scene.