I didn't sell out, says Chebundo

FORMER President Emmerson Mnangagwa's political nemesis-turned-comrade, Blessing Chebundo says people must not construe his decision to ditch the main opposition as an act of betrayal.

Addressing a Zanu-PF district party leadership at Kwekwe District Offices where 500 former MDC members Friday reportedly joined Zanu-PF, Chebundo said his decision to join former rivals was not only bold but also came after some soul searching and a realisation that the opposition's confrontational politics was not only destructive but also retrogressive.

Chebundo ditched MDC together with another senior member Lillian Timveous.

They are part of a handful former MDC top politicians who have made a beeline recently to be part of their once bitter rivals.

Said the former Kwekwe lawmaker, "In February this year, I had what is called soul searching. This was after taking stock of what was happening in opposition politics.

"I met with my sister Timveous and we decided to look for solutions and joining Zanu-PF was part of the solution."

Chebundo said the main opposition in Zimbabwe was divided.

"MDC as an opposition party is now 21 years old but we realised we were not going anywhere in the opposition.

"When we formed MDC, we were still in the first Republic. For the past 3 years in the second Republic, we asked ourselves with Timveous what the end game will be if we continued with confrontational politics.

"For the past 3 years since President Mnangagwa has been in power, there has been noticeable change. We have seen maturity and wisdom in the leadership of the country," he said.

Chebundo said he joined Zanu-PF as a move to search for solutions.

"I have moved from MDC to Zanu-PF in search for solutions. I want to be part of the solutions not the problem.

"We discovered that there is need to be part of the solution and not continue as part of the problem," he said.

The politician, famed for dealing some humiliating poll defeats on Mnangagwa when the latter was still scrambling for parliamentary seats with the rest, said joining Zanu-PF was not a minor decision.

"Zimbabwe will continue to have problems; it will not have a good future if we continue to have confrontational politics.

"There is need for boldness in Zimbabwe, there is need to remove pride in our politics, there is need to remove a mentality of saying I sold out when you join progressive forces," he said.

Chebundo was adamant he did not sell out.

"There is nothing to sell out. I did not sell out. We have to put Zimbabwe first. This is history being made. This is not a mean number to have 500 people willing to join Zanu-PF, to beef up Zimbabwe solutions," he said.