By Paul Nyathi
One of the seven opposition parties in the MDC Alliance coalition has officially disbanded and resolved to join the ruling ZANU PF party.
ZANU (Ndonga) announced today that it is ceasing existing as a political party and incorporating itself into ZANU PF with immediate effect.
The decision to dissolve as a party was endorsed by the opposition party’s executive members at a meeting held in Harare today.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, party President Wilson Khumbula said the opposition party is now fully joining ZANU PF.
Khumbula said that the decision is a confirmation of a 2015 resolution which was made to join ZANU PF but was disturbed by the factional fights in ZANU PF at that time.
“I call upon all former Zanu (Ndonga) members to adhere to our decision pthat the party ZANU (Ndonga) dissolved in February 2015 and joined ZANU PF to become one party following the final round of negotiations with the representatives of ZANU PF led by Hon Dr Win BJ Mlambo. The decision to join Zanu PF was downplayed by the G40 cabal which teamed up with Manicaland provincial executive…..our members were denied entry into ZANU PF which saw some of our members enticed to other parties,” said Khumbula.
“Now because the G40 cabal was brought to book, I call upon again to all ZANU (Ndonga) members to come back to ZANU PF. We have agreed with the leadership of the new dispensation led by His Excellency Cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa that all our members are very much welcome into the party since we started together in 1963 as one party,” Khumbula added.
The party has been part of the MDC Alliance coalition against a background of massive resistance from MDC-T members who felt that the party was not adding value to the lead opposition party in its quest to win the elections this year.
The party which has a large following in Manicaland especially amongst the Ndau people of Chipinge was allocated one seat in the MDC Alliance coalition.
MDC-T senior members recently called on their new President Nelson Chamisa to remove four of the MDC Alliance partners from the coalition including ZANU Ndonga.
Comment could not immediately be obtained from the MDC Alliance leadership.