MDC Alliance prioritising Chamisa's 'luxury', says Jonathan Moyo

FORMER Zanu-PF politburo member and cabinet minister Jonathan Moyo, who until recently had pledged to train MDC Alliance election agents, has given a scathing analysis of MDC Alliance efforts towards watershed 2023 harmonised elections.

In a series of Twitter posts, Moyo also took a swipe at the main opposition party's #NgaapindeHakeMukoma catchphrase.

Moyo detailed how he had had to withdraw his offer to train MDC Alliance election agents after heavy criticism from the party's leadership and what he claimed were followers of the "Zizi Brigade," a jibe at late Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's advisor, UK based Law lecturer Alex Magaisa.

As a result, he said, he will be taking a back seat and taking part in the elections as a political scientist.

Moyo also maintained the MDC Alliance should have used money raised for Chamisa's armoured vehicle to oil its election rather than pamper its president.

"The idea of a USD120K GoFundMe for a VIP bullet proof car was puzzling as it smacked of either getting the MDC-A's priorities wrong, or not knowing them. Worse, the idea betrayed leadership insensitivity; a leader does not buy a cake, where his followers don't have bread," Moyo said.

"On the MDC Alliance's priorities, it's common cause that the party is in dire straits: no office; no budget; no party workers; no cars with party logos out there; no visible nationwide party activity: therefore basically, no institutional capacity and no administrative support!"

"It's irrational for a party with no institutional capacity and in desperate need for administrative support, within the calendar cycle of a general election, to prioritise the purchase of a VIP bulletproof car for its leader. It puts off real donors! Respectfully, raising such issues is not malicious; the issues don't reflect the quandary of someone suffering from some disease caused by military induced "loss of power" nor do they reflect a wish to dictate stuff to the MDC-A faction. It's empathetic sympathy, full stop!"

"The defence of the USD120K GoFundMe for the VIP car on grounds that "he who pays the piper calls the tune" is scandalous and endangers political party financing by citizens. Worse, it creates parallel centres of power & may threaten national security. Citizen or contributor-based funding for political parties or campaigns is not new; it's common around the world. But the party doing it must own & lead the process, account for the identity of contributors and for the funds; to safeguard the party's interests and the law," he said.

Moyo has been a willing supporter of the MDC Alliance since his escape from the country at the height of a military coup in November 2017.

He campaigned for Chamisa in 2018 and had been openly in support of him in the run up to 2023.

His efforts however caused friction within the fragile MDC Alliance with hardliners within its leadership maintaining they could not work with him as they feared he would divulge some of their "secrets" once they fell out.

Added Moyo: "Tsvangirai's MDC is history, as is Mugabe's Zanu-PF. They've become fatal factions. Only the deep state remains standing. Efforts to mobilize voters under personalised hashtags, such as #ED5MoreYears or #NgaapindeHakeMukomana are cultic and cannot win popular votes in 2023!"