MDC-T NATIONAL organising secretary Nelson Chamisa has denied claims he had become over-ambitious within the country's main opposition a...
MDC-T NATIONAL organising secretary Nelson Chamisa has denied claims he had become over-ambitious within the country's main opposition and was stopping at nothing to lend the party's powerful secretary general position and, ultimately, the party leadership.
Part rivals have singled out the youthful MP for criticism, accusing him of taking advantage of the recent party split to elbow out potential competitors for the party's presidential post, should it become vacant one day.
A group of party "veterans" claims the legislator is trying to side-line them as they were a potential landmine in his painstaking march for party presidency.
Chamisa was Saturday said to have clashed with the militant group when he travelled to Bulawayo to assess the party's structures ahead of the October congress.
In an exclusive interview with NewZimbabwe.com, the legislator was at pains to deny he harboured any leadership ambitions.
He decried the party split in April this year which he said has squandered the little gains they have made as a united MDC since formation.
"I am not motivated by ambition, l am motivated by conviction," he quipped, "l am not moved by a position in the party or in the struggle, l am moved by a proposition; things that l stand for. I am not a positional person."
The Tsvangirai led faction of the splintered party has its elective congress this October.
Chamisa, who has put up a good fight when party hawks were closing in on Tsvangirai's job, denied he was trying to curry favour with the charismatic MDC-T founding leader or position himself for a powerful party position.
"The tradition in our party has never been to have galloping ambition or a run-away agenda to get political party posts," Chamisa said.
"I believe in being located by responsibility rather than locating it. I believe in being empowered rather than trying to empower myself; after all, it's not about Chamisa.
“It's not about individuals, it's about the people we lead, it's about the agenda and the cause we stand for. Those are the issues that define us."
At a prime age of 36, the former ICTs minister is thought to carry the charisma, the intellect and resilience to run the course.
His critics however say he failed to camouflage his ambitions when the party split.
But Chamisa had this to say about his perceived presidential ambitions: "The only ambition l have is to be a good resident under the leadership of our president Tsvangirai; that is my immediate hope.
"I am not a microwave politician who believes in instant miracles. I am not a cheap politician; l am not driven by convenience, l am driven by conviction.
“Some of us are not driven by arrogance; the danger of arrogance is that it arrogates you into oblivion. Some of us are mere simpletons in the villages there. Honestly when you look at me, are you seeing an ambitious presidential aspirant?!"
When the MDC-T split in April this year, Chamisa was viewed as one of the ambitious leaders who found the opportunity to get rid of equally powerful party rivals who could outshine them when the presidential position opens one day.
But Chamisa came out with guns blazing: "You equate me to the Almighty who has the Divine authority to shape and sculpture circumstances ... I have never thought of the politics of elimination.
“I have never sought to eliminate the comrades that have left us. Rather, l have sought to emulate them. I did not seek to replace them, if anything l actually cherished to replicate them.
In apparent reference to his erstwhile comrades who ditched the party, he said: "In order for you to be a good leader, you must be a good follower, so some of us have to follow our leader the president.
“I have always said no sun rises when another one has not set. The sun in MDC has not set and therefore there is no reason for another sun to start shining."
He added: "I never budgeted for the kind of behaviours l am seeing from my colleagues, the likes of Elton (Mangoma) and others.
"I have not thought there will be any internal focus by MDC when they were still two years from a congress."
Part rivals have singled out the youthful MP for criticism, accusing him of taking advantage of the recent party split to elbow out potential competitors for the party's presidential post, should it become vacant one day.
A group of party "veterans" claims the legislator is trying to side-line them as they were a potential landmine in his painstaking march for party presidency.
Chamisa was Saturday said to have clashed with the militant group when he travelled to Bulawayo to assess the party's structures ahead of the October congress.
In an exclusive interview with NewZimbabwe.com, the legislator was at pains to deny he harboured any leadership ambitions.
.jpg "Chamisa denies interest in Tsvangirai throne") |
| Chamisa denies interest in Tsvangirai throne |
"I am not motivated by ambition, l am motivated by conviction," he quipped, "l am not moved by a position in the party or in the struggle, l am moved by a proposition; things that l stand for. I am not a positional person."
The Tsvangirai led faction of the splintered party has its elective congress this October.
Chamisa, who has put up a good fight when party hawks were closing in on Tsvangirai's job, denied he was trying to curry favour with the charismatic MDC-T founding leader or position himself for a powerful party position.
"The tradition in our party has never been to have galloping ambition or a run-away agenda to get political party posts," Chamisa said.
"I believe in being located by responsibility rather than locating it. I believe in being empowered rather than trying to empower myself; after all, it's not about Chamisa.
“It's not about individuals, it's about the people we lead, it's about the agenda and the cause we stand for. Those are the issues that define us."
At a prime age of 36, the former ICTs minister is thought to carry the charisma, the intellect and resilience to run the course.
His critics however say he failed to camouflage his ambitions when the party split.
But Chamisa had this to say about his perceived presidential ambitions: "The only ambition l have is to be a good resident under the leadership of our president Tsvangirai; that is my immediate hope.
"I am not a microwave politician who believes in instant miracles. I am not a cheap politician; l am not driven by convenience, l am driven by conviction.
“Some of us are not driven by arrogance; the danger of arrogance is that it arrogates you into oblivion. Some of us are mere simpletons in the villages there. Honestly when you look at me, are you seeing an ambitious presidential aspirant?!"
When the MDC-T split in April this year, Chamisa was viewed as one of the ambitious leaders who found the opportunity to get rid of equally powerful party rivals who could outshine them when the presidential position opens one day.
But Chamisa came out with guns blazing: "You equate me to the Almighty who has the Divine authority to shape and sculpture circumstances ... I have never thought of the politics of elimination.
“I have never sought to eliminate the comrades that have left us. Rather, l have sought to emulate them. I did not seek to replace them, if anything l actually cherished to replicate them.
In apparent reference to his erstwhile comrades who ditched the party, he said: "In order for you to be a good leader, you must be a good follower, so some of us have to follow our leader the president.
“I have always said no sun rises when another one has not set. The sun in MDC has not set and therefore there is no reason for another sun to start shining."
He added: "I never budgeted for the kind of behaviours l am seeing from my colleagues, the likes of Elton (Mangoma) and others.
"I have not thought there will be any internal focus by MDC when they were still two years from a congress."
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