The visit by Emmerson Mnangagwa to check on Tsvangirai has been viewed as an attempt by Tsvangirai to manage succession within MDC without the massive influence of the Anti-Alliance faction of the party. Tsvangirai has been negotiating with the government to pay him his benefits as a former Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa (R) meets the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the country’s main opposition party, Morgan Tsvangirai (C), flanked by his wife Elizabeth Macheka (L), during a visit at his home in Harare on January 5, 2018.
The visit came as Zimbabwe’s political parties prepare to begin campaigning for elections due later this year — the first since former president stood down following a brief military takeover. / AFP PHOTO / Jekesai NJIKIZANA
The announcement of the Mnangagwa government agreeing to honor Tsvangirai’s benefits package comes as a major blow to the Anti-Alliance faction in the party who were intending to use financial muscle to influence succession within MDC.
Our source tells us that Tsvangirai has been surviving at the whim of the people who control the finances of the party.
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Remember Tsvangirai is ill. He has not been on any salary since he left government. This cabal in MDC has been controlling him. It has been hard for him to make any independent decisions. They control his access to medicine.
The package from Mnangagwa enables Tsvangirai to survive outside the control of the Anti-Alliance cabal.
There has been an emerging rift within MDC since the attempt by Tsvangirai to forge an alliance with Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube. Thokozani Khupe has been vocal about the issue as she feels the intented concession of parliamentary seats in Matebeleland to Welshman’s MDC would disenfranchise her.
Recently Secretary General Mwonzora broke ranks with Tsvangirai when he announced that MDC-T party was going to select candidates for next year’s elections in all the country’s 210 constituencies. This was tangential to what the pro-Alliance team had negotiated with the other members.
The Anti-Alliance faction in MDC has been pushing for an Extra-ordinary Congress in February to remove Tsvangirai.
Nelson Chamisa has emerged as the preffered candidate for the pro-alliance team although Mudzuri also may benefit from this.-PaZimbabwe
