Hosia Mviringi
In a classic fashion of one bad learner who refuses to derive lessons from history, Nelson Chamisa has turned his back at the very same pitfalls in which his predecessor Morgan Tsvangirai stumbled (Kupira gotsi rufuse).
This follows a string of key appointments, which were made outside Congress, which is his party`s appointing platform for major positions.
The appointments which saw Last Maengahama becoming the party`s Secretary for Policy and Research, Ostallos Siziba being announced as Fadzayi Mahere`s Deputy in the Communications Office and Sesel Zvidzai becoming Deputy Chairperson, while Promise Mkwananzi was smuggled into the party`s National Executive.
One of the appointments which raised questions was that of Sesel Zvidzai as the Deputy Chairperson, a role which Job Sikhala earned after winning an election at the party`s 2019 congress.
The move has reportedly raised tension, with those within the camp saying Sikhala is livid that a position he worked for was handed to Zvidzai on a silver platter.
Another curious appointment was that of Ostallos Siziba, a well known runner for Nelson Chamisa.
Siziba, who was until his elevation Secretary General for the Youth Assembly was reportedly placed as Deputy Party Spokesperson to ensure that the excitable Fadzayi Mahere keeps towing Chamisa`s line.
It seems Chamisa seeks to perpetuate a kindergate system he benefitted from.
In 2016, the late Morgan Tsvangirai imposed Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri as Vice Presidents outside proper processes.
After Tsvangirai`s death, Chamisa jumped over the coffin to declare himself interim party president and refused to hold an extraordinary congress to settle the succession issue in the party.
This disgruntled the elected holder of the position, Thokozani Khupe, setting the stage for the split which saw senior members of the party deciding to stand against Chamisa in the interest of constitutionalism.
This exposed Chamisa`s penchant for pressing the self-destruct button through his excitable yet dictatorial tendencies.
The history
Chamisa is in his current unenviable position because he failed to correct grave historical mistakes committed by Mr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai (may his soul rest in peace).
Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, in his wisdom or lack thereof, either got power drunk or his mental capacity had become compromised, or he was outright hijacked by power hungry individuals around him, disregarded constitutional procedure for appointing senior official officers of the Party.
Mr Morgan Tsvangirai had become corrupted by power such that he believed that he had become the Alpha and Omega and the constitution of the MDC itself.
In July 2016, Morgan Tsvangirai made two unilateral appointment of Elias Mudzuri and Nelson Chamisa to positions of co-vice President, appointments which grossly violated Congress resolutions which had nominated and endorsed Ms Thokozani Khupe as the elected Vice President.
What followed after Morgan Tsvangirai’s death was a dramatic usurpation of power by one of the Vice Presidents, Nelson Chamisa, who himself was a product of a an unconstitutional order.
Thus the chain of illegality grew longer and stronger.
It was this illegality that precipitated a fatal split of the party on the eve of a decisive election in July 2018.
Many observers and analysts have concluded that indeed the MDC formation fronted by Nelson Chamisa has all but lost any chances for realistically contesting for power in 2023 due to a looming split precipitated by the latest unilateral appointments.
Which begs the question, can a man who cannot learn from past mistakes be fit for national leadership?
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