MDC Alliance headed for a split?

The 5th of August 2017 marked a historic day in the politics of Zimbabwe as Zimbabwean opposition political parties came together to form a united front to contest in this year's elections. Seven political parties signed the Alliance agreement to form the nations strongest opposition force, the MDC Alliance. Since its inception the MDC Alliance has been riddled with serious challenges with the greatest one being the untimely death of the Alliance presidential candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai. However, despite all the challenges, the MDC Alliance has always managed to pull through. However the Alliance is now facing a challenge which might spell its complete destruction.

The drama started on Saturday 17 March, at another MDC Alliance rally in Kwekwe where only PDP leader, Tendai Biti, ZimPF leader Brig Mutambara, MDC leader Prof Welshman Ncube and MDC-T president Nelson Chamisa were the only four out of the seven principals who addressed the rally. The other three principals, MCD leader, Guchutu, ZANU Ndonga leader Sakwinje and TZ president Jacob Ngarivhume were sidelined and apparently were going to address the next rally in Gweru the following day.

Events however turned out to be different today when once more Guchutu and Ngarivhume were omitted from the program. Mutape Sakwinje had to cut his address short after interruptions from a planted crowd that was allegedly mobilised by the MDC-T deputy organising secretary Mr Amos Chibaya.

In a move that seemed to be well calculated, Chamisa then played the 'nice guy' and then pleaded with the crowd to allow Ngarivhume and Biti a chance to give their speeches.

Despite being treated as an inferior member of the MDC Alliance, Ngarivhume encouraged the opposition to be united. He said "only a united opposition will remove Mnangagwa and ZANU pf from power in this year's elections."

This unequal treatment of partners within the Alliance has been a cause of concern with some senior officials within the Alliance fearing for the split of the Alliance as a result of this preferential treatment of Alliance partners. Divisions have rocked the opposition grouping of seven political parties that was being viewed by many as the only viable option in removing ZANU pf from power. Chamisa, Biti, Ncube and Mutambara have been accused of teaming up and planning to exclude the other three parties from the Alliance. It is alleged that the four have reached secret agreements where Prof Welshman Ncube has been promised the vice presidency of the Alliance government, Biti the lucrative ministry of Finance and Mutambara seconded to Defence and Security.

Speaking to journalists after the Alliance rally in Gweru, the MDC Alliance spokesperson Prof Welshman Ncube said "the original idea that led to the formation of the Alliance was to bring back the MDC splinter groups namely Biti's PDP and Ncube's MDC back to the main MDC led by the late Morgan Tsvangirai", hence the name 'MDC' Alliance. According to Ncube, the other four Alliance partners TZ, MCD, Zim PF and ZANU Ndonga are just 'chaff in the wheat'.