Welshman Ncube's MDC fails to hold congress

THE Professor Welshman Ncube-led MDC has failed to hold its congress amid fears that the party has collapsed with the only remaining members being its leader and some members of the national executive.

The party last held a congress in January 2011 when Prof Ncube was elected its leader, replacing Prof Arthur Mutambara.

However, the party has suffered a number of knocks since that congress that has seen a mass exodus of members especially after its dismal performance in the 2013 elections when the MDC failed to win a single seat.

Sources within the party yesterday said the only members the party was left with were those in the national executive.

"You will remember that the last congress was held in 2011 when Prof Ncube was elected as leader. There have been plans to hold the congress since last year but nothing has materialised because the structures have seriously depleted almost to nothing," said a source.

"Even members of the initial top six that were chosen by the 2011 congress, most of them have fallen away and were replaced by appointments and probably the only remaining ones are Prof Ncube and Edwin Mushoriwa."

The MDC has entered into a coalition with MDC-T in what has been widely interpreted as a survival tactic by Prof Ncube and the few remaining members of his party.

According to a report by our Harare Bureau yesterday MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai has agreed that MDC fields candidates in Matabeleland South in next year's elections in terms of their agreement. His party will not field any candidates in that province.

"But a number of issues arise on that declaration by Tsvangirai. Firstly, whatever is agreed around the coalition is meant to be discussed and endorsed by the congress but already Prof Ncube has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Tsvangirai without the input of the congress," said the source.

"Again now after the constitution, we no longer have leaders by election but by existence and appointment which is unconstitutional. This has led to the thinking that the failure of holding the congress is deliberate by the remaining few to create the false impression that the party is still intact when the structures are almost non-existent."

Repeated efforts to get a comment from MDC spokesperson Mr Kurauone Chihwayi and party secretary-general Ms Miriam Mushayi were fruitless as their respective mobile phones went unanswered.