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FORMER Gwanda Mayor and MDC national executive member Lionel De Necker yesterday resigned from the troubled party in a damning letter that also called for Professor Welshman Ncube to step down from the helm of the organisation. De Necker’s resignation comes barely a week after former party spokesperson Joshua Mhambi left the party, insiders said, following a clash with a senior female member.
Another member of the national executive Sibongile Mgijima also ditched the party on Wednesday. In his two-page resignation letter, De Necker, who posted a copy of it on micro blogging site Twitter, expressed disappointment, “at the way the party has slid backwards from a symbol of hope to a desperate state and yet continues, at least at the leadership level, to pretend that all is well.”
De Necker alleged that the party has gone for many years without “functional and resourced” structures while the national executive council does not meet regularly with decisions being imposed on the body.
“The National Standing Committee has become the super-ordinate organ of the party making all key decisions without resort to the National Council. This Mr president has continued even as NSC has itself faced many forced changes due to departures,” he said.
The party’s leadership, he said acted as if everything was normal yet the organisation was bleeding from resignations of national members without making any effort to “honestly” deal with the crisis.
He said the party had, since its “mauling” at the 2013 elections, failed to reach out to grassroots structures restricting its engagements to informal conversations amongst a few provincial members and some national leaders via social media, a move he said rendered the MDC a “WhatsApp” movement out of touch with the people.
De Necker said the “we’re better than the rest” stance was not going to do the party and favour but sink it deeper into oblivion. “I urge you Mr president,” he wrote in reference to Prof Ncube, “to seriously consider stepping down from the helm of the party not only for the sake of your legacy but to afford the party an opportunity to re-energise and make radical and strategic choices for its survival. Please do not allow yourself or ego or any other driver to be the albatross around the neck of the MDC. It would be unfortunate if your legacy is diminished further . . .”
Following its dismal performance in the 2013 harmonised elections, the party has lost a number of senior officials including Mhambi’s predecessor, Nhlanhla Dube, former director for policy and planning Qhubani Moyo, former chairperson Goodrich Chimbaira and his deputy Frank Chamunorwa.
Chimbaira, Dube and Chamunorwa resigned from the party after they were singled out as being part of a “gang of four” that included Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga accused of rebelling against Prof Ncube.
Former party treasurer Paul Themba Nyathi also resigned from the party in June to pursue personal interests. MDC spokesperson Kurauone Chiwayi was not reachable for comment yesterday.
Online Reporter