The beleaguered main opposition MDC Alliance is reportedly divided over Nelson Chamisa’s controversial appointment of Fadzayi Mahere as it’s national spokesperson despite the fact that the prominent lawyer has not served for five years in the party.

Renegade MDC Alliance secretary for policy and research, Tapiwa Mashakada revealed the simmering divisions within the party which have been birthed by the recent controversial appointment.

Tapiwa Mashakada

Speaking in a live broadcast on Sly Media, Mashakada also made a scathing attack on Chamisa, who he says has been captured by a clique of student leaders in the party.

“There is a big debate within the party, about how people like Fadzayi Mahere became the mouthpiece of the party before she had five years in the party. That is wrong. That has to be corrected,” said Mashakada.

He also alleges that it is the same cabal of students that has been blocking Chamisa from going to an extraordinary Congress to choose the substantive replacement of MDC’s late founding president, Morgan Tsvangirai.

file… Recently appointed MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere

“The problem is, the Cabal surrounding Chamisa will not allow him to go to the extra-ordinary Congress,” said Mashakada.

“MDCA (is) now hijacked by student leaders – the ZINASU element, it is no longer a labour-based movement. I thought we were right, but once the Supreme Court ruled, we have to abide by the court judgment. Tsvangirai would have done the same. We made a strategic error to catapult Chamisa to be leader of the party without then going to an extra-ordinary Congress. It was a fatal error,” he said.

Mashakada also said, instead of defiantly maintaining that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is an illegitimate leader, the opposition must focus on pushing the 77-year-old strongman so that he changes the lives of hard-pressed Zimbabweans.

“Let us unite to remove ZanuPf. But going further, we must be mature, let us stop saying ED is illegitimate. Let us push him to deliver change to the people of Zimbabwe.

“There is dictatorship within the cabal surrounding Chamisa,” he said.

Zwnews