'I will never betray Tsvangirai,' says Mwonzora

Newly elected MDC Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora says he will never betray the people's project. His two predecessors Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti have both revolted against party President Morgan Tsvangirai and formed splinter groups.

"I have worked with Tsvangirai for the past 22 years at various institutions and in various capacities. The powers of the president and the secretary general no longer overlap, so there will not be any confusion in administering affairs of the party in future," Mwonzora told The Zimbabwean.

He said he was clearly number five in the MDC-T hierarchy and would work under Tsvangirai to the best of his ability for the national good. He was the legal advisor to the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions led by the former Prime Minister as chairperson in1992 and went on to work with him at the National Constitutional Assembly, where he was a board member while Tsvangirai headed the institution.

"When Ncube and Biti revolted against Tsvangirai in 2005 and 2014 respectively, I did not follow them since we differed in our political ideologies and principles," said Mwonzora, indicating that he could have easily done so since he had the opportunity.

He beat former Organising Secretary Nelson Chamisa for the secretary general's post at the recent congress. Chamisa has graciously admitted defeat and is believed to be weighing ‘several options on the table' including pursuing a legal career.