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Chamisa's likely deputies from Matebeleland
27 Mar 2018 at 16:41hrs | Views
MDC-T leader Nelson Chamisa is set to make key appointments of two deputy presidents, national chairperson, organising secretary and party spokesperson in an effort to stabilise and prepare the main opposition party for the upcoming harmonised elections.
Although the expected appointments were likely to open floodgates of serious jostling, Chamisa was widely expected to reward those who stood by him as he settled as substantive president following the death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai last month.
Party deputy president Thokozani Khupe, who was elected at the opposition's 2014 congress was fired last week along with organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe and spokesperson Obert Gutu.
The trio had failed to recognise Chamisa's ascendency to the helm of the party.
National chairman Lovemore Moyo also resigned from the party last week, accusing the leadership of losing direction and deviating from the founding principles. Morgen Komichi is expected to shoe in and become the Chairman.
Likely candidates for Chamisa's deputies:
Dr Bekithemba Mpofu (PhD, MBA, MSc, BSc, FCMI, CBIFM)
In 2011, Dr Mpofu was widely tipped to replace Roy Bennett as the party Treasurer General. Mpofu, the founding MDC youth secretary general is said to be Matabeleland region nominee for the post of VP.
Someone from the Matabeleland provinces will be appointed to the VP position to ensure an equitable distribution of senior posts in the party which they argue won the united MDC support in the region.
Currently the party is accused of making leaders in Matabeleland junior partners and deputies particularly after failing to appoint a respectable number of cabinet ministers from the region.
When contacted for comment, Dr Mpofu could not confirm if he is campaigning for the VP position. "I will serve in any position that I am nominated and elected by the party structures," he said.
Thabitha Khumalo
She is a founder member of the Movement for Democratic Change. Khumalo is also a human rights defender and champion of the rights of children, women, as well as the disadvantaged. Upon election to the Parliament, she was appointed member of the Parliamentary Forum of the Southern African Development Community, where she chaired the Standing Committee on HIV and AIDS.
In 2011, she was appointed to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Advisory Group on HIV and AIDS and Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and served as its Vice-Chair until 2015. She was also active in the Parliament Select Committee responsible for crafting a new Constitution under the Government of National Unity, and served in the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders, which is the supreme decision making body of the Parliament.
On March 1, 2017, Khumalo was appointed MDC-T spokesperson following the suspension of Obert Gutu.
In August 2017, Khumalo was suspended from MDC-T by the late Morgan Tsvangirai following violence against Thokozani Khupe. Khumalo was suspended together with the party's Deputy Treasurer-General Mr. Charlton Hwende and three members of the youth wing pending investigations. Khumalo was allegedly suspended for masterminding the attack on Khupe, Lovemore Moyo and Abednico Bhebhe after they allegedly convened a meeting at the party's provincial offices in Bulawayo a day after the MDC Alliance launch. Khumalo was cleared of wrong-doing while Mr Bhebhe was found guilty of making reckless statements to the Press.
Gift Banda
Gift Banda, popularly known as Mr Gee, is a Zimbabwean politician who is currently the Deputy Mayor of Bulawayo and holds a number of influential positions in Zimbabwean football, including serving as President of Njube Sundowns F.C., Chairman of the ZIFA Southern Region and sits on the board of the Zimbabwe Football Association. Banda was recently arrested following a brawl in the city of Bulawayo involving supporters of two factions of the MDC-T.
Elias Mudzuri is guaranteed to maintain his position as he smoked the peace pipe with Chamisa after a fallout just after Tsvangirai's death.
Although the expected appointments were likely to open floodgates of serious jostling, Chamisa was widely expected to reward those who stood by him as he settled as substantive president following the death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai last month.
Party deputy president Thokozani Khupe, who was elected at the opposition's 2014 congress was fired last week along with organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe and spokesperson Obert Gutu.
The trio had failed to recognise Chamisa's ascendency to the helm of the party.
National chairman Lovemore Moyo also resigned from the party last week, accusing the leadership of losing direction and deviating from the founding principles. Morgen Komichi is expected to shoe in and become the Chairman.
Likely candidates for Chamisa's deputies:
Dr Bekithemba Mpofu (PhD, MBA, MSc, BSc, FCMI, CBIFM)
In 2011, Dr Mpofu was widely tipped to replace Roy Bennett as the party Treasurer General. Mpofu, the founding MDC youth secretary general is said to be Matabeleland region nominee for the post of VP.
Someone from the Matabeleland provinces will be appointed to the VP position to ensure an equitable distribution of senior posts in the party which they argue won the united MDC support in the region.
Currently the party is accused of making leaders in Matabeleland junior partners and deputies particularly after failing to appoint a respectable number of cabinet ministers from the region.
Thabitha Khumalo
She is a founder member of the Movement for Democratic Change. Khumalo is also a human rights defender and champion of the rights of children, women, as well as the disadvantaged. Upon election to the Parliament, she was appointed member of the Parliamentary Forum of the Southern African Development Community, where she chaired the Standing Committee on HIV and AIDS.
In 2011, she was appointed to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Advisory Group on HIV and AIDS and Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and served as its Vice-Chair until 2015. She was also active in the Parliament Select Committee responsible for crafting a new Constitution under the Government of National Unity, and served in the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders, which is the supreme decision making body of the Parliament.
On March 1, 2017, Khumalo was appointed MDC-T spokesperson following the suspension of Obert Gutu.
In August 2017, Khumalo was suspended from MDC-T by the late Morgan Tsvangirai following violence against Thokozani Khupe. Khumalo was suspended together with the party's Deputy Treasurer-General Mr. Charlton Hwende and three members of the youth wing pending investigations. Khumalo was allegedly suspended for masterminding the attack on Khupe, Lovemore Moyo and Abednico Bhebhe after they allegedly convened a meeting at the party's provincial offices in Bulawayo a day after the MDC Alliance launch. Khumalo was cleared of wrong-doing while Mr Bhebhe was found guilty of making reckless statements to the Press.
Gift Banda
Gift Banda, popularly known as Mr Gee, is a Zimbabwean politician who is currently the Deputy Mayor of Bulawayo and holds a number of influential positions in Zimbabwean football, including serving as President of Njube Sundowns F.C., Chairman of the ZIFA Southern Region and sits on the board of the Zimbabwe Football Association. Banda was recently arrested following a brawl in the city of Bulawayo involving supporters of two factions of the MDC-T.
Elias Mudzuri is guaranteed to maintain his position as he smoked the peace pipe with Chamisa after a fallout just after Tsvangirai's death.
Source - Byo24News
