Ex-MDC MP takes a dig at 'selfish' Chamisa

Former Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Chegutu West legislator Takalani Matibe has defected to Zimbabwe's ruling party, Zanu-PF, after completing Marxist indoctrination at the Chitepo School of Ideology in Dadaya National Youth Training Centre, Midlands.

Matibe, who was previously associated with the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) after his tenure with the MDC from 2008 to 2013, ran unsuccessfully as an independent candidate in the 2023 Chegutu West parliamentary election.

Explaining his shift, Matibe told NewZimbabwe.com that he was impressed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF's progress in infrastructure development, contrasting it with what he perceived as a disintegrating opposition. He stated:

"My decision to join Zanu-PF was motivated by the fact that Zanu-PF is unconquerable, and no amount of opposition political activism can dislodge it for a very long time. Besides, there is no longer an opposition party to talk about in Zimbabwe."

Matibe criticized former CCC leader Nelson Chamisa, accusing him of sidelining activists for personal gain:

"Look at how Nero (Chamisa) was sidelining some of us in the whole agenda. I need to be relevant to my country and play my part in building it, so l joined the ruling party which is inclusive and concerned about development."

Matibe's defection underscores a strategic move towards aligning with Zanu-PF's developmental agenda under Mnangagwa's leadership.