By Paul Nyathi|Shurugwi South constituency MDC-T members have petitioned their leader Nelson Chamisa to get a Welshman Ncube MDC member to withdraw as a candidate for the MDC Alliance coalition in the constituency or they won’t vote for the alliance.
In a petition dated June 17, sent out to Chamisa, the MDC-T members called on him to resolve the issue of the parliamentary candidate for the constituency saying they were not comfortable with the seat being reserved for the candidate from the Ncube-led MDC.
The members demanded that MDC-T member Daniel Mabonga should represent the alliance as Shurugwi South candidate alleging that Ocead Mutunami of Ncube’s party was not popular in the area.
Mabonga recently filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate after he was advised that the seat had been reserved for Mutunami.
“The community in Shurugwi South is very worried about having two candidates with one under MDC Alliance and the other one as independent,” said the members in the petition.
“The community who include chiefs, priests and village heads had spread in the constituency that the alliance candidate is Mabonga after you had declared to them that he was the candidate. What has changed now? How can we have an unkown candidate who stays in South Africa representing Shurugwi South?”
The MDC-T national chairman Morgen Komichi on Monday gave an ultimatum to all party members registered as independent candidates to withdraw their nominations by end of day on Wednesday. Mabonga did not withdraw with the members calling on Mutunami to instead withdraw.
They said Mabonga had covered much ground in the constituency using his own resources.
“The situation needs attention to avoid dividing votes,” the petition further read.
“MDC Alliance Shurugwi South District does not recognise him. Infact he (Mutunami) never visited them (MDC-T Shurugwi district members) for a courtesy call but moves alone throwing T-shirts like confetti (sic).”
MDC Alliance Midlands South provincial spokesperson, Munyaradzi Mutandavari confirmed that Mabonga was among party members who filed as independent candidates in the province.