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THE MDC in its various shades has, over the past 24 or so years, always been squabbling.

We saw it when the party split into MDC-T and MDC in 2006 over participation in senatorial elections held in that year.  

Thereafter, there was MDC Renewal, People’s Democratic Party, MDC 2000 etc.  Between 2017-2018, Thokozani Khupe and Nelson Chamisa fought over control of the party resulting in the former contesting the July 2018 elections as MDC-T leader with the latter leading MDC-Alliance.

There were fights in MDC-T as well pitting Khupe and Douglas Mwonzora. After defeating Khupe, Mwonzora switched attention to MDC Alliance and claimed ownership of the party name, assets and so on.  

In January 2022 Chamisa formed the Citizens Coalition for Change and contested in the August 2023 elections as its presidential candidate.  He kicked aside some of his longtime associates — Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube and others, replacing them with younger leaders.  

Three months later, one Sengezo Tshabangu emerged as the face of a faction opposed to Chamisa.  He was able to convince Parliament and the courts that he was the party secretary general with authority to fire CCC legislators and councillors.  He has recalled at least 21 MPs and eight by-elections had to be staged at the weekend.

The CCC fights, according to Zanu-PF Vice-President and Second Secretary Dr Constantino Chiwenga, is Manna from Heaven for the ruling party.  It naturally capitalised on that disorder to wrest six constituencies from CCC on Saturday.  It had already won one, Mabvuku-Tafara constituency uncontested ahead of the by-elections, after a court order barring candidates not loyal to Tshabangu from participating under CCC.    

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga

This means that the ruling party has, four months after the August general election, enhanced its strength in Parliament by seven more seats thanks to the new wave of infighting in the opposition. Manna from Heaven indeed!

Cde Pedzisai Sakupwanya, a wealthy gold miner who has invested so much in Mabvuku-Tafara, is now in the House representing Zanu-PF. Cde Raj Modi is back in the House as Bulawayo South MP. He won his first election in 2018, served for five years, lost in August but is back in the chamber.

Zanu-PF’s Cde Muchimba Chineka is Binga North representative after he polled 9 862 votes, an improved performance for the party compared to August when its candidate in that constituency, Cde Kudakwashe Mavula Munsaka polled 9 663.

Binga had generally eluded Zanu-PF over the past 23 years, thus Cde Chineka and the party will be happy to have snatched it from the opposition.    

“It is clear there is no substitute for Zanu-PF,” the party’s Politburo Secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu said. 

“Zanu-PF is a party of choice; it is a colossal party in the country and whatever machinations that people will try will fail. CCC is in disarray because of its attempts to dislodge Zanu-PF.”

If, as looks likely, the opposition infighting continues, Zanu-PF could pick more from the six more by-elections set for early next year.