'Bootlicking' Chamisa 'angling for MDC-T presidency'

OPPOSITION MDC-T organising secretary Nelson Chamisa is angling to take over the party leadership in the near future, youth assembly secretary general Promise Mkwananzi has claimed.

Chamisa has emerged as one of the main backers of party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai as he fights for his political life after senior colleagues told him to step down, arguing he was now an electoral liability.

But Mkwananzi, in an article penned on Monday, warned Tsvangirai to be wary of "Chamisa's machinations".

"Tsvangirai must be wary of Nelson Chamisa's motives and machinations," said the youth assembly leader.

"He (Chamisa) appears intent on hiding behind the president to redeem himself from being judged by the people on the role he played in the July 2013 election outcome, including the manner in which he handled primary elections and the imposition of dubious and unknown characters as party candidates.

"In addition, Chamisa seems comfortable to keep the party at abeyance, purge potential competitors and pave the way for his eventual take-over as president when he reaches the forty year threshold."

Chamisa is currently 36 years old. He has denied accusations that he was personally responsible for the chaos that characterised the MDC-T's humiliating defeat in last year's general elections.

An analysis written by Tsvangirai's election technical advisor, Philian Zamchiya, also accused Chamisa of misleading the former premier on the possible outcome of elections.

Mkwananzi also levelled the same allegation against his colleague.

"Mr. Nelson Chamisa, unpopular for dividing the party through mishandling the primaries and misleading the president into believing that God had told him that the party would win the election and form the next government, must stop forthwith manipulating and hiding behind the president and face the music of his actions," said Mkwananzi.

Chamisa was not reachable for comment on Monday.

Mkwananzi said bootlickers around Tsvangirai had precipitated the chaos bedevilling the opposition party.

"The rules and regulations enunciated by the party's constitution have been bastardized to the dustbins of history and the sole will of Morgan Tsvangirai and the sycophants that surround him have taken over as the order of the day.

"This is a very dangerous trajectory for a movement that not only provided enormous hope for the people of Zimbabwe but one which claimed to be a big church of divergent ideas," said the youth leader.

Mkwananzi was, along with party deputy treasurer Elton Mangoma, violently attacked outside the party's headquarters in central Harare last month as the leadership wrangle within the MDC-T reached boiling point.

Mangoma is at the centre of the leadership dispute after writing two stinging letters asking Tsvangirai to resign.

In response, Tsvangirai set in motion moves to have the former Energy Minister sacked from the party resulting in last week's suspension which was described by secretary general Tendai Biti as "null and void".
Biti himself is now reportedly under threat of expulsion as the war over Tsvangirai's position continues.