MDC-T is set to hold its belated 13th anniversary celebrations in Bulawayo on Saturday with speculation that the party hopes the function would rejuvenate its support in the country’s second city.
Report by Nqaba Matshazi, Senior Reporter
Despite MDC-T having swept all seats in Bulawayo in the 2008 election, questions linger whether it would be able to repeat the feat in the next polls, as there are reports of factionalism, infighting and defections.
Recent visits to Bulawayo by MDC-T executive have been far from memorable with the run-up to last year’s congress mired by violence.
The city has always been a stronghold of the party, but there are suggestions that it can no longer take this for granted.
Already the infighting in the province has claimed the scalp of Tabitha Khumalo, while there has been a petition to have one of the senators, Matson Hlalo, kicked out of the party.
There are reports that a number of people have defected from the party in recent months, but MDC-T officials claim this is a minor setback that would not dent its support.
MDC-T Bulawayo province chairman Gorden Moyo said celebrations were being held in Bulawayo because it was a hotbed of opposition political activities from the colonial era.
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“Bulawayo is a clean environment. It is a Zanu PF-free environment and it is at the heart of our struggles,” he said.
Moyo said they were not worried about the resurgence of MDC under Welshman Ncube, as his party’s fight was against Zanu PF and not MDC-T.
“This is the last anniversary that we will have before we take over power. We received a mandate to rule the country in 2008, but there was no transfer of power. Now we will make sure the power comes to the people,” he continued.
Analysts said it was important that the party used the opportunity to shore up its support and underline its presence, in the face of an open challenge from Ncube’s MDC.
Political analyst Dumisani Nkomo said it was important for the MDC-T to assert its dominance in the city.
“There is the issue of defectors or alleged defectors which the party has to deal with. By coming to Bulawayo at this time, they are trying to make a statement that they want to maintain their foothold over the city,” he explained.
Nkomo said having celebrations in the city was also important in that it was a gesture from the party it was dealing with issues of factionalism and infighting.
“But more still needs to be done to end the factionalism and infighting that is being reported,” he said. “This is a good gesture, but there is room for more to be done.”
Pedzisai Ruhanya, a political analyst, however, said the decision by the MDC-T to have its celebrations in Bulawayo was a way to thank the province for the role it had played in the democratisation of the country through the party.
“It is also a move by the party to revitalise and mobilise its base and to remind the people there that they are still on the path to democratisation,” he said.
“It is also recognition of the role the (Matabeleland) region has played in supporting the party.”
Ruhanya added it was important that MDC-T made a statement it was still committed to Bulawayo given the inroads Ncube’s MDC had made.
This was the view shared by Effie Ncube, another political analyst, who said it was important for the MDC-T to resuscitate its base in Bulawayo. Zapu had been resuscitated in the province.
