Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) National Deputy Organising Secretary, Amos Chibaya said sensationally claimed that the succession battle ravaging the main opposition party has been put to rest as deputy President, Thokozani Khupe has conceded defeat to Nelson Chamisa.
By Delicious Mathuthu
Chibaya, who is also the Mkoba Legislator said this during a press briefing in Gweru adding that the Midlands Province is fully behind Chamisa’s ascendancy to the presidency of the labor backed movement.
He said the squabbles currently rocking the opposition have nothing to do with succession but constituency distribution in the Matabeleland region, which is an MDC-T stronghold.
“I want to put this on record that Honorable madam Thokozani Khupe has conceded defeat saying it herself that she has lost the battle to Honorable Chamisa because the truth of the matter is that the MDC National Council sat and elected Chamisa to be the substantive President and 2018 Presidential candidate,” he said.
“When the issue of succession was being debated it was before the National Council had made a resolution and Khupe was very correct then,” said Chibaya.
Honorable Chibaya said the National Council is the ultimate authority of the party in-between congresses and no one can challenge its decision, with the power to even elect or fire the President of the party.
Honorable Chibaya said the current unrest rocking the opposition party has nothing to do with the Presidency but seat distribution in Matabeleland ahead of the 2018 elections, a problem that existed even before the passing of Tsvangirai.
“The challenge with Madam Khupe is not about the President to be frank with you. There were issues even before the passing away of President Tsvangirai which had to do with the alliance.
“Issues to do with seat distribution where Honorable Khupe was of the view that our party is strong in Matabeleland, which is very correct, therefore there is no need for us to give some of the seats to our alliance partners,” Chibaya said.
However, Khupe on the other hand was recently quoted in the media saying she will not recognize Chamisa as the National Council has no decree to make such decisions as appointing leaders.
“The National Council does not and has no power to elect leaders.
“I was elected at Congress in 2014 along with our late leader, Morgan Tsvangirai. That means, in his absence, I should be acting president. Chamisa and Mudzuri were appointed by president Tsvangirai,” Khupe says.
“We must stick to the values and principles that define MDC. We are of the belief that our colleagues have deviated from the character and culture that defines the MDC, that of social democracy and non-violence, the values of non-discrimination on ethnicity and gender,” she said.
Meanwhile, following the violence incidences that rocked the opposition from the days of Tsvangirai’s burial in Buhera and the recent in Bulawayo, Chibaya said the opposition party is a non-violent party and currently seeking assistance from pastors and the Arbitrator General.
“MDC is a non-violent party, so what we have done as a party is that we have engaged the Arbitrator General and even pastors to see what exactly the problem is so that this issue is brought to finality.
“As also you know that our president, who will be the president come August this year, Chamisa is also a pastor himself and is a person who does not believe in violence.”
Reports say at least 15 people were injured recently in Bulawayo when violence broke out at the MDC-T party offices where supporters believed to be backing Khupe clashed with the Chamisa camp.
