MDC to probe reasons for by-election defeats

The MDC has set up a panel led by its security department to probe into the embarrassing losses in a series of by-elections held so far.

The probe comes amid accusations being levelled against the party president, Nelson Chamisa of not taking the by elections seriously.

MDC lost to Zanu PF in two by –elections held in Ward 31 in Bikita East Constituency, Masvingo Province and Nyanga South's Ward 26, on 13 July.

 In Nyanga South, Zanu-PF's Bisset Mapeta polled 396 votes to wrestle the ward from the MDC which won the same Ward in 2018 polls. MDC's Vincent Bopoto secured 236 votes.

In Bikita, Zanu-PF's Thomas Matanga polled 1112 votes against MDC's Moses Maposa who garnered 410.

A source within the embattled opposition said the MDC tasked a panel from the security department to look into the humiliating defeats. "The national leadership was annoyed by the fact that people attended the campaign rallies in their droves but only a few voted. The security department will get to the bottom of the issue.

"In Bikita East, for instance, a total of 2 500 people attended the last rally but only 400 people voted for the party," said the source.

He said such discrepancies also obtained in Nyanga. He added that the continued electoral hiding would not augur well with Chamisa's mantra of ‘legitimacy crisis' where he claims that he was robbed of his victory.

"With these defeats, it will be very difficult to find buyers for the legitimacy mantra. Even the international community will doubt our claim that we were robbed of our victory. Zanu PF wrestled the Nyanga South Ward from us and this sent an impression out there that Zanu PF is gaining popularity," said the source who is within the MDC national executive.

He said the setting up of an enquiry team was pushed by the party's co-vice leader, Tendai Biti's faction which believes that Chamisa sold the seats for a song.

During a recent national executive meeting held in Masvingo, Biti and the party's spokesperson, Daniel Molekele blamed Chamisa for the loss in Bikita East by-election. They said Chamisa failed to honour his promise to address the final rally in the Ward, a move which they said portrayed lack of seriousness on his part.

Chamisa, however defended himself saying he had delegated someone since he was seized with preparations of the party's economic blueprint, the Road to Economic Recovery, Legitimacy, Openness and Democracy (RELOAD). He is said to have castigated the campaign team for misleading the leadership by bussing people from outside the constituency.

Political analyst, Tatenda Mamombe said the Nyanga residents had sent a message to Chamisa for demoting former secretary general, Douglas Mwonzora who hails from that district.

"The Nyanga defeat was a protest over the way Chamisa treated, Dougie (Douglas Mwonzora). He is the darling of the district since he is the most senior member in that district, if not the whole province of Manicaland," said Mamombe.

Mwonzora was subjected to persecution after he showed interest to challenge Chamisa for the presidency. He was labelled a Zanu PF plant with his followers constantly being hounded. The provincial and national congresses were manipulated to elbow out Mwonzora followers from holding key party positions.

Faced by mounting pressure, Mwonzora withdrew from the presidential race at the eleventh minute and decided to fight for his secretary general's post which he subsequently lost to Chalton Hwende.

Mwonzora has joined forces with Biti to topple the youthful leader who is continuously losing favour with his former amigos including Hwende. The relations between Hwende and Chamisa soured after the former refused to comply with Chamisa's directive to withdraw from the contest to pave way for Mwonzora. Chamisa had wanted to pacify Mwonzora whom he intended to use in dousing the growing influence of his deputy, Biti.

Chamisa views Biti as power hungry and harbouring presidential ambitions. Sources say Biti sometimes  has a loose tongue, telling his followers that he is too senior to be led by Chamisa, whom he says was a mere youth leader when he was already the party's secretary general.

The party's benefactors, the West in particular, have reportedly lost confidence in Chamisa's leadership. Sources say there is a plot already to replace him with Biti whom they see as more decisive and rational. In Biti, sources say, the West sees a leader who wants the party to move closer to the West by embracing neo-liberalism.