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Nduduzo Tshuma, Political Editor
MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s hint at retirement from active politics has set the stage for a gruelling succession race that threatens to tear the party apart.

In a statement on Monday, Mr Tsvangirai said he was looking at the imminent prospects of leaving the levers of power to the younger generation, throwing the party into frenzied speculation and anxiety on who would take over after he is gone.

Three names have been thrown around as possible successors to Mr Tsvangirai, all of them his deputies namely Mr Nelson Chamisa, mostly favoured to take over, Dr Thokozani Khupe and Engineer Elias Mudzuri.

There are however two factions angling to succeed Mr Tsvangirai, one reportedly led by Dr Khupe and another by Mr Chamisa.

Informed sources within the MDC-T have also indicated that Mr Douglas Mwonzora, the party’s secretary general, is a dark horse that might spring a surprise in the succession matrix having defeated Mr Chamisa during the party’s 2014 congress to land his current post.

Mr Chamisa was later in 2016, along with Eng Mudzuri appointed Mr Tsvangirai’s additional deputies, a development that was interpreted as a move to weaken and dilute Dr Khupe’s influence.

Signs of ructions within the MDC-T have started showing with conflicting pronouncements by party officials in messages laced with veiled attacks towards one another.

After, Mr Tsvangirai’s statement on Monday, the party’s spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu released a statement after the national organising and elections directorate meeting on Tuesday saying Mr Tsvangirai remains the party’s  2018 presidential elections candidate.

Yesterday, Mr Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Mr Luke Tamborinyoka posted on his Facebook wall in apparent reference to the MDC-T spokesperson’s statement dismissing it as a “black market” position.

“President Morgan Tsvangirai speaks for himself, as he did through his statement on Monday or through his official spokesperson, as happened after he met President Mnangagwa last Friday. Any other channel parroting a purported MT position is the black market. And the black market is not only unofficial but illegal,” posted Mr Tamborinyoka.

There has been serious debate around who should succeed Mr Tsvangirai with Dr Khupe’s supporters arguing that she is the only elected official among the three deputy presidents.

They also argue that Dr Khupe is more senior to the two having served for many years as Mr Tsvangirai’s deputy.

Dr Khupe’s supporters are also saying Mr Chamisa is not qualified to claim the presidency because he lost to Mr Mwonzora in the race for a lower position in the party.

Mr Chamisa’s group on the other hand are saying Dr Khupe is more of a regional leader than a national one with her influence largely concentrated in Matabeleland.

They further argue that even in Matabeleland, Dr Khupe no longer enjoys the control she used to have.

Mr Chamisa’s supporters further believe that Mr Chamisa is Mr Tsvangirai’s favoured successor which gives him an advantage over the other candidates with his wit, charisma and intellect serving as an icing on the cake.

As for Eng Mudzuri, it is believed that besides being a veteran leader and perhaps more mature than his two colleagues, he lacks the charisma and support from the lower structures.

It is the view of this piece however, that MDC-T is a dying brand whose fate is, metaphorically speaking, tied to Mr Tsvangirai’s fall and the succession race is not only inconsequential but would also not delay the inevitable.

Many reasons can be cited in support of this observation, with the first being that fact that the MDC-T was formed and based on the personality cult around Mr Tsvangirai who in actual fact has in successive elections garnered more votes personally than all the party’s legislators combined.

In other words, Mr Tsvangirai was more popular as an individual than the party.

Mr Tsvangirai has in the past pursued personal interests at the expense of the party but still remained the glue that united the core of the MDC-T and in his absence the party is headed for demise.

What has worsened the situation for MDC-T is that Mr Tsvangirai’s plan to retire from politics is not voluntary or informed by principle or vision but has been forced by his failing health.

He never planned or managed the party’s succession process but instead influenced the amendment of the constitution so that he remains at the helm of the MDC-T.

The timing of the hint to retire from active politics, has dealt the party a heavy blow as it comes at a time when the country is preparing for elections.

In the event that Mr Tsvangirai retires before the elections, the already fractious MDC-T will be rocked by serious divisions and as such will be no match for Zanu-PF that has not only successfully completed a leadership renewal but has also set the country on a positive direction.

Even if Mr Tsvangirai is to contest as per wishes of some officials within the MDC-T, the results will be equally disastrous for the MDC-T with his failing health and his failure to unite the party seriously divided along factional lines.

It can therefore be said that Mr Tsvangirai has set his party into turbulent waters and the party is headed for the inevitable.