By Political Correspondent
(MDC) has embarked on a rigorous restructuring exercise, aiming to rekindle the vibrant spirit that once characterized the party during the late Morgan Tsvangirai’s leadership.
In a significant development, Engineer Elias Mudzuri, who recently secured legal control of the party from Douglas Mwonzora, is spearheading intense efforts to revitalize the beleaguered opposition movement.
Despite facing a wave of frustration from former cadres, which some have attributed to internal provocations, Mudzuri remains steadfast in his conviction that Zimbabwe will not see another opposition party replace the MDC.
Mudzuri, who was poised to lead the main opposition before being supplanted by Nelson Chamisa following Tsvangirai’s funeral, firmly believes the MDC is the sole apparatus capable of dismantling the ruling party.
Mudzuri, an accomplished academic with ties to Harvard University, had long before hinted at the party’s impending collapse due to greed and personal expediency, even prior to what analysts described as Chamisa’s orchestrated takeover tactics.
“I have always told people that MDC needs people who are genuinely focused and principled to take it forward,” Mudzuri stated.
“When people like Chamisa decided to take over through their own means, to us it was openly genuine that they were after personal gains, and this is what weakened MDC. I will tell you that both Mwonzora and Chamisa instituted their own reforms outside MDC founding principles. Where are they now? These are the reasons why the High Court Ruling dismissed a Congress which was not a Congress convened by Mwonzora. I am a focused and principled person. They say when you are at Harvard you see the world. I saw these things coming after the death of Morgan Tsvangirai.”
As interim president, Mudzuri is determined to demonstrate the critical role of strong structures in any political organization, directly challenging Nelson Chamisa’s approach.
His track record supports this belief; he performed with exceptional skill as the National Organiser of the MDC in 2008, a period when the party outmaneuvered ZANU-PF to such an extent that President Mnangagwa himself remarked, “I was the Chief Elections Agent of ZANU-PF when I heard the news that MDC has won the elections.”
The late Robert Mugabe also lamented the party’s near collapse at a rally held at Gwanzura Stadium, urging, “Let’s make sure that we don’t go back to the doldrums of 2008. Makundisiya ndega, asi ndakairwira ndega!!” (You left me alone, as if i fought for Zimbabwe’s liberation alone!).
During this pivotal period, Mudzuri had strategically established a robust support base, which famously led to Tendai Biti declaring an “overwhelming victory for Morgan Tsvangirai” before ZANU-PF’s Patrick Chinamasa angrily denounced the announcement.In light of this history, Mudzuri is committed to returning to the MDC’s foundational principles.
A quiet but determined effort to craft a well-structured support base is underway, with the aim of proving that progress can indeed turn back the hands of time, ultimately restoring the once-mighty opposition movement to its former glory.
