Staff ReporterZimbabwe Opposition leader MDC president Nelson Chamisa has appointed Welshman Ncube and Morgen Komichi as his co-deputies as he begins presiding over the much-anticipated MDC reunification process which also co-opted Tendai Biti as deputy national chair.
Nkululeko Sibanda made revelations at a press conference held at the Morgan Tsvangirai House this Tuesday.
Jacob Mafume is the party’s new spokesperson, deputised by Shepherd Mpofu, it was announced.
“The following are the presidential appointments, deployments and redeployments,” said Sibanda who was accompanied by new party spokesperson Jacob Mafume.
“Senator Elias Mudzuri remains vice president, Senator Morgen Komichi previously the chairperson of the party is now appointed vice president, Professor Welshman Ncube is appointed vice president, Senator Thabitha Khumalo has been deployed to become the national chairperson and honourable Tendai Biti has been appointed vice national chairperson. The secretary general remains honourable Douglas Mwonzora.”
The commonly known MDC-T also reverts back to its original MDC name which is not qualified by any affixation.
“The president is keen to let the country know that he is beginning the process of strengthening the party and to manage it along on the basis of his smart policy, in line with the need to prepare the party to reclaim the stolen victory.
“To return the party to its original strength,” Sibanda said, the party would be “integrating the MDC Alliance into the MDC.”
“The president is doing all this on the basis of the constitution and after meeting with the National Executive.”
Formed September 1999, the main opposition suffered a split 2005 with the then party secretary general Welshman Ncube going with a significant chunk of the party membership.
This followed strong disagreements on whether the party should contest for the country’s senatorial elections after the now defunct Robert Mugabe led administration moved to reintroduce the country’s bicameral system.
Ncube and his allies were up in arms with what they found to be founding party leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s dictatorial tendencies after the late leader vetoed a national council decision to take part.
The re-united MDC is set to hold its congress before the year ends, at which all elected positions will be declared vacant.
