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Pamela Shumba Senior Reporter
MDC members, frustrated over their leader, Professor Welshman Ncube’s silence since the party dismally lost in the July 31 elections have called for his resignation. Prof Ncube disappeared from the public eye after the harmonised elections, where his party lost in all the constituencies it contested. Sources say he spends much of his time at his farm, leaving the party leaderless and in paralysis.
Members of the party in Bulawayo said although Ncube claimed that he was still consulting and planning after the crushing loss, it was unreasonable for him to be still consulting eight months down the line.
“The president’s silence is frustrating us. We feel like orphans yet we have a leader who is in the country. What worries us more is that some leaders are leaving the party and he is not doing or saying anything about it,” said one party member from Bulawayo.
“We tend to wonder what we are expected to do as ordinary party members when leaders are leaving the party. The president is not even coming to assure us that the party still exists. These developments make us think that perhaps things are bad in the meetings they sit in as leaders.
“Since the July 31 elections the MDC has lost a lot of its members in leadership positions to MDC-T or Zanu-PF. It is not fair for the president to neglect us like this. It will leave us with no option but to also leave the party.”
Another party member said Prof Ncube’s silence was making it difficult for the party to grow and was creating panic among party members.
“It has become so difficult to see where we are going as a party. The party has suddenly lost focus and we do not understand what the purpose of our leaders is.
“We do not want people to come and talk to us on his behalf. He should be personally coming to his people and give us assurance that we are still together in this fight,” said the party member.
Other members called on Prof Ncube to resign and allow someone active to take over and move the party forward.
Senior party leaders who have left the formation since last July include director of policy Qhubani Moyo and former legislators Siyabonga Malandu Ncube and Edward Mkhosi. Ncube and Mkhosi have joined MDC-T. They were reportedly unhappy with the alleged imposition of Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga as legislator for Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South.
The entire MDC Chikomba Central executive defected while the Bulawayo youth executive also left the party.
Many party members who represented the party in last year’s elections in Manicaland province and lost have joined MDC-T.
On Thursday Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Edwin Ndlovu announced his resignation, saying he wanted to concentrate on his studies.
Efforts to get a comment from Prof Ncube were fruitless as he was not answering his mobile phone.
MDC Bulawayo provincial chairman Oscar Ncube defended Prof Ncube, saying it was not the party’s leader’s duty to push the party forward.
“Prof Ncube is still the president of the party. I want to make it clear to the people out there that it is not the duty of the party leader to initiate progress; it is the duty of the party members, who should then inform their leaders of the progress being made.
“Prof Ncube has always been a farmer and there is nothing wrong with him staying at his farm,” said Oscar Ncube.
He said the party was “still vibrant,” with “progressive” meetings being held regularly.
Online Reporter