Flashback: On a Sunday on 17 February 2008,roughly a month before the harmonised election I went to cover a rally at Stanley Square in Makokoba which was addressed by MDC Secretary General Welshman Ncube and Vice President,Gibson Sibanda.

During his address Ncube said that he would give up politics if he lost his campaign to Thokozani Khupe in Makokoba. The remarks were published on Metro on February 18 and again in the state run The Chronicle.

A month after the elections we have the results. In Makokoba Welshman Ncube polled 2475 and Thokozani Khuphe 4123,Tshinga Dube of ZANU PF 1316.Thokozani Khuphe’s victory represents 50.5% of the vote which is an absolute majority and Ncube got 30.3, a huge 20.2 point difference.

In raw numbers the difference between Khuphe and Ncube is 1648, the widest of all the constituencies in Bulawayo,Khuphe received the second largest number of votes for a winning candidate in Bulawayo. MDC-Tsvangirai’s Agriculture & Lands Secretary, Seiso Moyo who contested Nketa-Emganwini leading the pack.

khuphe.jpg(Left:MDC-Tsvangirai Vice-President,Thokozani Khuphe)This was not the first time Ncube had said he was contemplating quitting , In 2006 he told CAJ News he would quit politics to concentrate on his legal profession without political “disruptions and interruptions.”

“I am definitely going not to be available on the front line role at the end of this current term. The constitution of the MDC says that I can only stand two terms as the secretary-general and I am serving my last term,” said Ncube then.

Recently the weekly The Independent reported that an arrangement has been made with MDC-Tsvangirai in which MDC -Tsvangirai candidates will step down and let Ncube,Sibanda and Nyathi contest and Ncube will contest in Redcliff in place of Tapera Sengweni and Gibson Sibanda will contest in my home constituency of Mpopoma.

I spoke to the MDC-Tsvangirai candidate for Mpopoma, Cllr.Samuel Sandla Khumalo over the phone yesterday evening and he told me they has been no discussions in his camp about him stepping aside for Sibanda and in any case he said he will not step aside for anyone.

My question is will Ncube stick to his word this time?what about those he said will quit together with him?If not why does he always threaten to quit if he won’t. I tried to get in touch with him to seek his comment,my attempts were futile.

Contact the writer of this story, Philip Mangena at : bulawayo@metrozimbabwe.com