MDC rebels establish structures for their splinter party

THE five members of the House of Assembly who have defected from the Professor Welshman Ncube led MDC have committed themselves to their decision and said they were no longer members of the party.

This comes amid reports the five, Ms Nomalanga Khumalo, who is MP for Umzingwane constituency, Senators Dalumuzi Khumalo (Lupane), Kembo Dube (Umzingwane), Messrs Thandeko Zinti Mkandla for Gwanda North and Maxwell Dube (Tsholotsho South) recently held a secret meeting in Bulawayo to plan to establish structures for their splinter party.

The MDC has dismissed the move as an indication of panic by the legislators.

Although the MPs chose to be mum about the meeting tossing this reporter from one to another, sources said they met last week at a three-star Bulawayo hotel.

The sources said the meeting was meant to strategise on how they could establish structures in all constituencies that are strongholds of the Prof Ncube-led party apparently to embarrass him.

Indications are that during the meeting, which was chaired by Ms Khumalo, the "rebel" MPs targeted Umzingwane and the Bulilima constituencies with a view of luring several councillors.

If confirmed, the development could start a race between the MDC and Ms Khumalo and her colleagues on the other hand as the party recently announced it had started a restructuring exercise in a bid to unseat her in the next elections.

The party has already identified Mr Ngqabutho Dube as its candidate to take on Ms Khumalo.

However, Prof Ncube was cautious recently when he said the fate of the five MPs would only be known when they officially testify for themselves before the party's disciplinary committee.

He said the party was not in a hurry to fire them, as they had not officially announced their decision.

Ms Khumalo defected from Prof Ncube's MDC and declared her allegiance to the rival faction led by Prof Arthur Mutambara together with the other MPs.

Contacted for comment, Ms Khumalo could neither confirm nor deny the meeting but referred questions to Sen Khumalo, who is said to be their new party spokesperson.

Ms Khumalo, however, bragged that all councillors in her constituency were behind her.

"All the councillors in my constituency have always been with me. I cannot talk about other constituencies for now," she said.

Turning to the alleged meeting, Ms Khumalo laughed it off and said: "Can you phone Sen Khumalo, he is our spokesperson."

Sen Khumalo declined to comment on the issue.

Ms Khumalo was reportedly appointed vice-president of the Prof Mutambara faction.

Mr Mkandla said he was not aware there was such a meeting.

He played down reports they were planning to rejoin the other MDC faction led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, saying those were just rumours.

"I am not aware there was such a meeting. What we are doing is just employing a wait and see method waiting for the outcome of the events. All I can say is that we are still sticking to what the press reported last year that we defected. I cannot say we will never rejoin the party because in politics you cannot never say never," said Mr Mkandla.

MDC national organising secretary Mr Qhubani Moyo said his party was not worried by parallel structures the five could establish.

"The green machine is a juggernaut and would crush any bystander. We are not worried about any structure because in reality we have made significant impact on the ground and no amount of opposition will stop us from winning the elections. We are not shaken by the parallel structures they plan to establish.," said Mr Moyo.

He confirmed his party's restructuring exercise, saying they had come up with representatives loyal to the party in the constituencies represented by the five.

The MDC has been embroiled in a circus after its congress early last year, which saw the then party president Prof Mutambara, who is also Deputy Prime Minister in the Inclusive Government, later changing his mind and disputing the outcome of the congress. DPM Mutambara broke away from the party with a handful of supporters.

The fight between Prof Mutambara and Prof Ncube, spilled into the courts and Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Lawrence Kamocha in December last year ruled in favour of Prof Ncube and barred Prof Mutambara from masquerading as MDC president.

Prof Mutambara has since appealed to the Supreme Court against the decision.