Forty-seven former MDC-T and Zanu PF members — including councillors and a former MP — have defected to the Welshman Ncube-led MDC with officials saying the move confirms the party’s popularity.
The defectors were paraded at a rally at Bafana Business Centre in Lupane on Saturday.
Among the defectors from MDC-T were: David Nyathi (former MDC-T director of elections); other provincial members Charles Ncube and Peter Nyoni (former Hwange MP); Penia Vundla, who was the district chairperson for Umguza; councillor for Ward 3 Dandanda-Lupane; Sampson Mpofu and Jeremy Nkomazana of Ward 22 in Lupane defected from Zanu PF.
Welcoming them into the party, Ncube said the defections were a sign of the trust the party was increasingly getting from people.
Ncube said: “Let us not underestimate the task ahead of us, especially now that the army generals are threatening to overthrow any elected leader who is not (President) Mugabe.
“We thus need more committed women and men. The party must continue with its open-door (policy) to members that are coming to join the democratic struggle and in recruiting more members.”.
Nyoni, the former Hwange MP, said he was misled into joining MDC-T.
“I realised that I was being misled into joining Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC as there are so many issues which are not clear. But with MDC, the policies of governing Zimbabwe are very clear and that is attracting people to the party,” said Nyoni.
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The party’s national organising secretary Qhubani Moyo said: “The only legitimate home that is there in Zimbabwe in terms of real change is MDC. We are aware that after the 2005 split many people moved with Morgan Tsvangirai under the false hope that numbers mean progress.”
