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Temba Dube Senior Reporter
PLAGUED by vicious factional infighting, the MDC-T has readmitted MDC-99 leader Job Sikhala and Joubert Mudzumwe in what is viewed as a desperate attempt to save the party from deepening leadership crisis. Following the 2005 split that gave birth to MDC-T and the Professor Arthur Mutambara-led MDC, Sikhala further split to form MDC-99.
MDC-M further split into two with Prof Mutambara retaining a faction and Prof Welshman Ncube leading the other camp.
Tsvangirai welcomed the prodigals in Harare yesterday and is expected to unveil them at his rally in Bulawayo tomorrow.
The MDC-T leader described the reunion as an “answer” to critics who say his house was crumbling.
However, analysts felt the return of Sikhala was meaningless given the widening stand-off between Tsvangirai and his senior leaders, secretary-general Tendai Biti and deputy treasurer general Elton Mangoma, who have openly challenged his leadership credentials and called for leadership renewal in the opposition party.
“Today, we obliterate the premature obituaries of this great movement. We showcase the dexterity with which we have outmanoeuvred our political opponents who have underestimated our capacity to organise a common front of one big family of fighters for democratic change. We are not there yet but today’s reunion is a good start,” said Tsvangirai.
MDC-T members said Sikhala’s readmission was a non-event. “Sikhala is political nobody who has been in the political wilderness since he left the party. If Tsvangirai dedicated as much energy to solving his stand off with Mangoma and Biti, we would all be better off,” said a senior official.
Online Reporter