Chamisa was anointed by Tsvangirai

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa said he is the only one who was told the vision of the party by the late founding father Morgan Tsvangirai and he is not going anywhere.

Chamisa told MDC members during the party meeting in Harare on Tuesday night that Tsvangirai anointed him as his successor, shutting doors for his rivals who want to contest him at the forthcoming congress. "Mudhara Tsvangirai akasiya andipa chinhu ichi (Tsvangirai gave me this crown). The vision is given to one person only not to many, we are following the vision, we know where we are and you don't ask where we are going because we know the direction we are taking," Chamisa said.

"Zimbabwe will never be the same again, congress is coming to an end soon, don't listen to those negative reports takabata musangano kuti ngaa (we are in total control of the party." This comes as Chamisa is leading the nomination to remain as the president of the country's leading opposition. So far Chamisa is the only one nominated by more than eight provinces to contest during the next month's party congress.

Chamisa took over the party's reins under hotly-disputed circumstances in February last year, following the death of the MDC's revered founding president Morgan Tsvangirai - who last year lost his valiant battle against colon cancer on Valentine's Day, and soon after he had elevated the youthful politician to the party's presidium.

With campaigning gathering steam ahead of the party's congress, many MDC structures are already marking the territory for their favoured leaders - with a number of them moving to make it clear Chamisa would receive their backing when this highly-anticipated gathering gets underway in May.

Meanwhile Chamisa warned party members against violence.

"We are not sleeping, we are moving around the country to make this process a success. This party is growing big and bigger. People are using their own money to come for the congress, people are committed. We must remain united. Tsvangirai left a big party."