The MDC Welcomes Councilor Albert Mhlanga

On behalf of the MDC I would like to welcome Councilor Albert Mhlanga
and his support structures in Bulawayo who rejoin the MDC today.

Councilor Mhlanga is an experienced Councilor in the Bulawayo City
Council and was, until recently, Deputy Mayor. He is an experienced
activist, politician and democrat.

Until today he was the Secretary for the Mutambara formation of the MDC
in Bulawayo Province. 35 other members of the Province who have elected
to rejoin the MDC in its original form are following him.

We would like to welcome all those willing to join us. Our focus is
clear, it is the total removal of Zanu PF from power.

Signed: Samuel Sipepa Nkomo
National Secretary for Integration, Healing and Reconciliation.

Defection of Albert Mhlanga

The MDC welcomes the decision taken by Albert Mhlanga to join the other MDC formation. The MDC wishes him well in his endeavors. As a Party we made it clear from the onset that those in our ranks who are uncomfortable with the political route that we are taking as a party are free to leave for we certainly have no room for the unruly, indisciplined, and unprincipled, those who give no respect to the founding values and principles of the party.

The MDC is pushing for the adoption of the single candidate philosophy and the working together of all democratic forces. It is our contention that what unites us is far greater than what divides us; consequently as a party we bear no grudge for any true democrat who is concerned with the liberation of Zimbabwe from the despotic regime of Robert Mugabe.

We would however like to correct the deliberate distortions that have been created over this matter perhaps to give credence to the defection. Albert Mhlanga had long been relieved of his duties as Bulawayo Provincial Secretary for various reasons that included incompetence and total disregard for the party constitution. He was facing a multiplicity of disciplinary cases that had been instituted by the party against him, notwithstanding pending court cases emanating from his penchant to engage in violent activities. Consequently he had long since ceased to be an executive member of the party owing to the foregoing, and had become nothing more than a fugitive from justice who sought to circumvent due process of the law through defection. He is not a genuine democrat.

Mhlanga had just been rejected by the people of Gwabalanda’s ward 16 in his effort to stand as their councilor for the second term. It is no secret that he has an insatiable appetite for power. It instructive to recall that after failing to secure re-election as Deputy Mayor, he went on a rampage, attacking the person and integrity of His Honor the Executive Mayor as if he had been responsible for his defeat at the polls. The very same Mhlanga is currently making noises, teaming up with Zanu PF councilors in his penchant to attack the Executive Committee of the City Council.

We are glad that he has finally realized that he does not share the same democratic values with us and has decided to leave. We wish him well in his new found home.  

A Bhebhe

Deputy Secretary for Information and Publicity (Mutambara faction)