MDC-T members jostle to replace late Dube who died last week

MDC-T members in Matabeleland South are reportedly "frenziedly jostling" for the right to represent the party in Insiza South barely a week after the death of Mr Jabulani Dube who had won the primary election.

Party officials have reportedly given Insiza South Constituency a directive to come up with a candidate to replace Mr Dube who died soon after winning the primary election last week.

"The three aspiring candidates (Nkululeko Sibanda, Mpumelelo Ndlovu and Danisa Mlilo) who lost to Mr Dube are already heavily campaigning for the post. Where have you ever seen such a thing? We do not want to be part of this foreign ideology," said the official.

"To add to the confusion, two new aspiring candidates, Mr Tendai Moyo and a Mr Dube who is said to be the brother to the late Dube, popularly known as Mahewu, have thrown their hats into the fray."

MDC-T officials in the province are also fuming after the former MDC Members of Parliament who recently defected to the MDC-T and were facing defeat in their "new" party's primary elections, were rescued from the embarrassment of being defeated after they were reportedly imposed as candidates in the forthcoming harmonised elections.

"The three defectors, Thandeko Zinti Mnkandla (Gwanda North), Ms Nomalanga Khumalo (Umzingwane) and Norman Mpofu (Bulilima East) have been imposed by some big wigs in MDC-T without consulting other members of the party at the grassroots," fumed another official.

A number of MDC-T officials yesterday said there had been a "gentlemen's agreement" between the defectors and aspiring candidates who were contesting against them.

"Initially, the primaries for those MPs were expected to be held on 9 June but the party has finally resolved that there will be no primary elections held for them.

"The other aspiring candidates have been talked to about the issue. The decision is yet to be formally communicated to the grassroots so that they understand the situation.

"The three candidates were not yet popular with party members and were going to be defeated if primaries were conducted. The other aspiring candidates have no choice but to accept the verdict of the top party officials," said the party official.