Poll Candidates Ditch 'Disastrous' Mwonzora
14th January 2022 Zimbabwe
By Bulawayo Correspondent
THREE MDC-T officials who had been nominated to represent the opposition party in the forthcoming by-elections in Bulawayo have withdrawn their candidatures after realising the party is headed for a disastrous performance in the March 26 plebiscite.
Dorcas Nyoni, Shella Musonda and Sibusisiwe Adams wrote to the party's secretary general Paurina Mpariwa informing her of their decisions to withdraw from the race as well as renouncing their membership from the Douglas Mwonzora led party.
The trio accused Mwonzora of violating the party's constitution.
"I Dorcas Nyoni of wad 19 would like to notify you of my intention to withdraw as a candidate in the coming by –elections. I don't belong to any of your structures," wrote Nyoni in her notification letter circulating on social media.
Nyoni confirmed the development to Newzimbabwe.com.
"I do not want to embarrass myself. It is better to continue with my work in the council than to get two votes," Nyoni, who is employed by the Bulawayo City Council said.
"I cannot stand for Mwonzora, they do not know me, and I have never attended any of their meetings. I am not part of them, and I will never join Mwonzora," she said.
Adams, who had been allocated ward nine council seat in Mpopoma, also confirmed that she had declined the offer.
She admitted applying to the party to contest in the ward in July last year following an internal advert but decided to withdraw her candidature after realising that the leadership was no longer following the party's constitution.
She described the MDC-T as a vehicle without wheels.
"The Supreme Court ruling restored the 2014 party structures in which at the time I was provincial vice secretary. I was supposed to be elevated to provincial secretary when our colleagues who include the then chairman Gift Banda were elevated to nation, but that did not happen," she said.
Musonda also levelled similar allegations against the MDC-T leader.
"Mwonzora has not seen me and why does he want me to be his candidate?" We have just realized that he has installed his own provincial executive which was not even part of the 2014 structure as directed by the Supreme Court," she said.