The reported recent defections by MDC-T members in Bulawayo to the Welshman Ncube-led MDC remain insignificant, but the party must work to stem the tide, analysts said yesterday.
A total of 254 MDC-T members have in the past two months reportedly defected to MDC leading to speculation that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s party might be losing its grip in the city.
Political analyst Effie Ncube said it was too early to say MDC-T was losing grip in Bulawayo because of defections.
“It requires more than the present number of people to really say the defections mean MDC-T might be losing grip in Bulawayo,” he said.
“You compare the number of defectors with the votes amassed in the last elections.
“If they do not stem the defections when there is still time, the party might be affected.”
Another political analyst Zenzele Ndebele said the defections were used by senior party members within the MDC-T to try to push Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khuphe, who is the party’s vice-president, out of the party.
“MDC should be careful otherwise they might be used to settle a score with Khupe by some senior members within MDC-T,” he said.
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“They should be careful because those defections might turn out to be a hoax and they will be left with egg on faces.”
However, another analyst Dumisani Nkomo, said the defections should be a wake-up call on the MDC-T, as there was a feeling that the party had a “lukewarm” attitude towards issues to do with Matabeleland.
“This could be an indication of the MDC-T losing relevance. However, Ncube’s MDC success will not rest on the number of defectors, but the silent and dormant vote resident with the youth,” Nkomo said.
“This is a wake-up call for MDC-T, which is perceived to be lukewarm towards Matabeleland issues, for example devolution, Gukurahundi and marginalisation.
“Their representatives from Matabeleland have been a huge disappointment.”
According to the reports, most of the defectors are from Khupe’s Makokoba constituency.
But the party has disassociated itself from such supporters.
