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Welshman Ncube to be MDC Alliance VP
03 Sep 2017 at 10:55hrs | Views
MDC-T MP for Mkoba constituency in Gweru Mr Amos Chibaya let the cat out of the bag when he inadvertently revealed the envisaged leadership hierarchy of the MDC Alliance. Mr Chibaya, who was one of the directors of ceremonies, introduced MDC president Professor Welshman Ncube as the vice-president of the MDC Alliance as he called him to the podium to address the gathering.
The sitting arrangement at the high table and the order in which the alliance principals addressed the gathering had already strongly hinted how power is likely to be distributed in the coalition. Mr Tsvangirai, who was accompanied by his wife Elizabeth, sat in the middle flanked by Prof Ncube, who sat immediately on his right, and People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mr Tendai Biti who was sitting on Mr Tsvangirai's left.
Leaders of the smaller political parties in the alliance, Retired Brigadier-General Agrippa Mutambara, of the Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF), Transform Zimbabwe president, Mr Jacob Ngarivhume and Multiracial Christian Democrats, (MCD) leader Mr Mathias Guchutu sat at further away from Mr Tsvangirai although they were on the high table.
Mr Ngarivhume was the first among the party leaders to speak, followed by Rtd Brig-Gen Mutambara, Mr Guchutu, Mr Biti, Prof Ncube before Mr Tsvangirai who is leader of the alliance gave the key note address.
Mr Biti, who in the past had been adamant that the coalition was yet to endorse Mr Tsvangirai as its leader yesterday referred to Mr Tsvangirai as "the leader of the alliance" during his salutation, in an apparent endorsement.
Rtd Brig-Gen Mutambara spelled doom for the coalition after he said the alliance will disintegrate into the individual small political formations after the elections.
"Some of our supporters are saying we have been swallowed. No, that's not it. This is a tactical alliance. After removing Zanu-PF we will return to our parties because there is freedom of association in this country," he said to a muted response from the crowd that was largely MDC-T.
PDP secretary-general Mr Gorden Moyo was conspicuous by his absence at the launch, while MDC-T Bulawayo provincial chairman Councillor Gift Banda, who seems to have broken ranks with Ms Khupe attended and gave the welcoming remarks.
The sitting arrangement at the high table and the order in which the alliance principals addressed the gathering had already strongly hinted how power is likely to be distributed in the coalition. Mr Tsvangirai, who was accompanied by his wife Elizabeth, sat in the middle flanked by Prof Ncube, who sat immediately on his right, and People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mr Tendai Biti who was sitting on Mr Tsvangirai's left.
Leaders of the smaller political parties in the alliance, Retired Brigadier-General Agrippa Mutambara, of the Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF), Transform Zimbabwe president, Mr Jacob Ngarivhume and Multiracial Christian Democrats, (MCD) leader Mr Mathias Guchutu sat at further away from Mr Tsvangirai although they were on the high table.
Mr Ngarivhume was the first among the party leaders to speak, followed by Rtd Brig-Gen Mutambara, Mr Guchutu, Mr Biti, Prof Ncube before Mr Tsvangirai who is leader of the alliance gave the key note address.
Rtd Brig-Gen Mutambara spelled doom for the coalition after he said the alliance will disintegrate into the individual small political formations after the elections.
"Some of our supporters are saying we have been swallowed. No, that's not it. This is a tactical alliance. After removing Zanu-PF we will return to our parties because there is freedom of association in this country," he said to a muted response from the crowd that was largely MDC-T.
PDP secretary-general Mr Gorden Moyo was conspicuous by his absence at the launch, while MDC-T Bulawayo provincial chairman Councillor Gift Banda, who seems to have broken ranks with Ms Khupe attended and gave the welcoming remarks.
Source - sundaynews
