Welshman Ncube, Mzila feud deepens

MDC president Professor Welshman Ncube has dismissed claims by ousted party's secretary general Moses Mzila-Ndlovu that he was deliberately being marginalised in the party.

Prof Ncube, while not mentioning Mzila-Ndlovu by name, said it was impossible to alienate the party's secretary general as his position was as good as that of a company's chief executive officer.

He said this while addressing a rally for Lobengula, Magwegwe and Mpopoma districts at Lobengula Hall in Bulawayo yesterday.

He said the real beef stemmed from ideological differences between him and Mzila-Ndlovu on whether the MDC should operate as a national or regional party.

"It's not about dictatorship and marginalisation. How can we marginalise the chief executive officer of a company? We should stop beating around the bush and tackle issues. The issue at hand is whether MDC should operate like a regional or national party. Let's discuss this issue more openly as Bulawayo, do we want to be a regional or national party," Prof Ncube said.

He said MDC has a lot of ground work to do if it wants to be relevant in the 2018 elections and this year the party will go to Congress to select those who will represent it in the polls. "We should also look into our policy directions and make resolutions as to who'll represent us in the next five years," he said.

Prof Ncube said some party members were impatient and holding clandestine meetings yet the congress was near.
He said members at district and ward level will select national leaders at Congress.

"We're not saying everyone will go to congress but you should organise yourselves from structures, district and ward level who you'll send to congress," Prof Ncube said.

He said the party needs to seriously introspect as it heads to congress as the outcome will have a bearing on how the MDC will perform in the 2018 elections.

Prof Ncube called for a full swing recruitment of youths and women saying no revolution has ever succeeded without the two groups.

Mzila Ndlovu and national executive committee members Esaph Mdlongwa and Abednico Moyo, Bulawayo provincial director for elections, Victor Nyoni, fellow provincial member Lucky Fengu and Greenfield Moyo from Midlands South were suspended on allegations of acting against the party's constitution.

MDC spokesperson Kurauone Chihwayi accused Mzila Ndlovu of being lazy and failing to execute his duties as the party's secretary general.

However, other party sources said Mzila was hamstrung as Ncube sidelined him from MDC's strategic meetings, making him fail to effectively carry out his duties.