Former MDC legislator Chaibva defects to Zanu PF

MDC

Former MDC legislator for Harare South constituency Gabriel Chaibva has rejoined Zanu PF in an apparent bid to revive his waning political fortunes.

Chaibva, a national executive member in the smaller MDC party led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, further castigated the party for allegedly transforming itself  into atribal party.

This he expressed in a letter to MDC vice president Gibson Sibanda dated January 1, 2010.

"You know I have tremendous respect for you as a person and it is for that reason that I felt it necessary to advise you in particular of my resignation from the party, which you now have christened MDC-M, for the love of personality cults, I guess.

"I do not want to leave you doubting as to what my next political move would be. I want you to know that I have joined Zanu-PF immediately. I seek to work hard for the people’s party, Zanu-PF, to regain its revolutionary image as the defender of our freedom, democracy and the gains of our liberation struggle."

The outspoken politician was in July 2008 dramatically relieved of his responsibilities as secretary for information and publicity for the MDC-M after attending the inauguration of President Robert Mugabe in 2008.

His party did not sanction his attendance.

The faction, which was backing Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai,Mugabe’s only challenger in the disputed June 27, 2008 presidential run-off, did not want to associate itself with Mugabe’s purported victory, which the 86 year old leader snatched from the then contender Tsvangirai after a two month orgy of violence which left hundreds killed and further displaced thousands.

Tsvangirai pulled out of the election at the eleventh hour citing an increase on state sponsored violence on his party structures.

When a united MDC split in October 2005, the nomadic legislator joined a break away faction then led by current MDC-M secretary general Welshman Ncube.

He has since found it difficult to win a seat in parliament and has confined himself into being a critic for the MDC-T.In 2006, he suffered a humiliating defeat to the MDC-T’s Emmanuel Chisvuure during a Budiriro by-election.

The controversial politician polled a paltry 504 votes against Chisvuure’s 7 949 votes.In the same election, Jeremiah Bvirindi of the then ruling Zanu PF polled 3 961 votes.

Recently, Chaibva has been enjoying a lot of airtime on the state controlled ZBC TV where he has persistently poured scorn on the Tsvangirai led MDC, which he has blamed for inviting sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Chaibva joins independent Tsholotsho North legislator Professor Jonathan Moyo who abandoned his title as independent lawmaker to rejoin Zanu PF.

Moyo has since been rewarded with a position in the powerful Zanu PF central committee