Categories: Stories

Mnangagwa’s nemesis dumps MDC to join ZANU-PF

Former Kwekwe legislator Blessing Chebundo, who rose to fame after defying all odds to beat Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front heavyweight, Emmerson Mnangagwa in the 2000 Parliamentary elections, has joined the ruling party together with another former opposition legislator Lilian Timveos, according to Mnangagwa spokesman George Charamba.

The two are both from the Midlands, Mnangagwa’s home province.

Chebundo also beat Mnangagwa in 2005 forcing him to switch to a rural constituency, Chirumanzu-Zibagwe which he won and later handed over to his wife after being appointed Vice-President.

Timveos was a senator.

According to Charamba, Chebundo left MDC-Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa to join MDC-T now led by Douglas Mwonzora  but he said both candidates found it futile to continue with negative opposition for the sake of opposition instead of joining hands with the rest of the country to support Vision 2030.

Chebundo’s political fortunes had begun to wane when he lost the Kwekwe Central seat to Masango Matambanadzo who had left ZANU-PF to join the National Patriotic Front and won the seat on that party’s ticket.

He also lost to Judith Tobaiwa the MDC-Alliance primary elections to contest the seat following the death of Matambanadzo last year.

(111 VIEWS)

This post was last modified on February 24, 2021 4:14 pm

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

Recent Posts

Is it true that 4 million Zimbabweans went without food on several occasions last year?

At least four million people in Zimbabwe reported that they had gone without food on…

November 5, 2026

Did you know that four of the world’s largest banks are all in China?

Four of the world’s largest banks are all in China. Assets of the Industrial and…

October 15, 2026

Zimbabwe one of the 27 countries in the world where the richest 0.1% has more wealth than the bottom 80%

Zimbabwe is one of the 27 countries in the world where the richest 0.1% of…

October 2, 2026

Zimbabwe third among the least free countries in SADC

Zimbabwe has been ranked third among the least free countries in Southern Africa but it…

May 24, 2026

Why I had a girlfriend two months after my wife’s death- Take 1

I had always considered it a curse for a wife to die before her husband.…

May 18, 2026

Why I had a girlfriend two months after my wife’s death

This is a true story about the challenges and loneliness I faced when my wife…

May 17, 2026