Concerns by some people about MDC-T leader, Thokozani Khupe, forging an alliance with the Nelson Chamisa-led Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) is just much ado about nothing, citizens have said.
Khupe, who in January parted ways with the Douglas Mwonzora-led faction of the MDCT yesterday endorsed Chamisa for the 2023 harmonised elections while urging her supporters to vote for CCC candidates in the by-elections on Saturday.
That has been interpreted by many to mean Khupe, who some people accuse of having been behind the demise of the MDC, has joined the new political formation.
Some people have been against Khupe joining CCC, blaming her for MDC-T parliamentary recalls at the time she was working with Mwonzora.
Speaking Tuesday during This Morning on Asakhe, a programme hosted by Cite on Twitter spaces, participants said Khupe’s move was nothing new in politics.
Liberty Bhebhe said Khupe should be given the chance she needs at a time when opposition parties are coalescing around a single presidential vote.
“I know that there are a lot of emotions that run but politics is like that,” said Bhebhe.
“People make decisions, they change decisions. We can talk of a history of people making decisions and changing decisions. In 2005 people made decisions and fired Morgan Tsvangirai out of the boardroom saying that Morgan Tsvangirai is wrong. Morgan Tsvangirai went outside, addressed a rally, and made decisions. The party split. 2008 was lost because of that split.”
Bhebhe said it was important for people to understand politics.
“Decisions have been made and unmade in politics,” said Bhebhe.
“This is not a church where we want to stand on high moral ground. This is politics. People make decisions.”
Bhebhe, however, said citizens should instead interrogate Khupe’s intentions in joining CCC instead of hindering her.
“I think people must support her and I think people must support her party for choosing to support a candidate coming from the Citizens Coalition for Change,” argued Bhebhe.
“ZANU-PF is looking at 2023 and looking at ways in which it can justify rigging the election through a split opposition vote. Whether this split opposition vote really happens or not, it is never known because ZANU-PF rigs and justifies the rigging through a split opposition vote. Therefore we need all hands on the deck.”
Zenzele Ndebele also said the noise about Khupe was not justified.
“In the history of politics people have been coming and going,” said Ndebele.
“In 2018 the MDC Alliance actually recalled Khupe from Parliament; the recalls from Khupe could have been a revenge of what happened to her in 2018.”
He said politicians have always jumped ship in the past with no one making hullabaloos about them.
“Mahere (Fadzayi) was an independent candidate in 2018, you know, and now she’s the spokesperson (of the CCC)… no one is making noise about it.”
He added that citizens could be busy making noise while Khupe and those in CCC could have long reconciled.
“These people they’ve worked together since 2000,” said Ndebele.
“They are not enemies, they are friends. They fight because of politics but it’s so easy for Khupe to reconcile with Welshman (Ncube) and Chamisa. So people need to realize that these guys know each other well. They can connect. They talk and they will make you look like fools.”
