BULAWAYO - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC got a boost yesterday when they received 11 councillors from the Welshman Ncube-led MDC in Matabeleland South Province.

Eleven councillors in Umzingwane led by their Rural District Council (RDC) chairperson, Melusi Mpofu, said they have left Ncube’s MDC on advice from the people who voted for them in 2008.

Umzingwane RDC vice chairperson, Amanda Khumalo, speaking on behalf of the councillors, said the Umzingwane people urged them to join the MDC T arguing the “party has a future.”

“We have joined the MDC T on advice of the people who elected us. They are the ones who said we should join the MDC T,” he said.

“They said there is no future in Ncube’s MDC. Umzingwane is also angry in that they now realise that Ncube took them for a ride when he told them to vote for Makoni in 2008.

“If we had voted for Tsvangirai, he could have been a President by now and he could have changed our lives.”

Some of the councillors who defected are Collen Sibanda (ward 4), Elliot Gumpo (ward 9), William Ngwenya (ward 3), Alvin Mbuyayetha (ward 8), Charles Mpofu (ward 2), Elliot Dube (ward 12), Japhet Moyo (ward 13), Solomon Ndlovu (ward 7) and Mbuyazwe Mphikelwa (Ward 5).

The mainstream MDC deputy organising secretary, Abednico Bhebhe said the defections reflected the party’s mounting support in Matabeleland and the country as a whole.

“We value their support and we support the defectors,” Bhebhe said. “It is clear that we will be winning in this district because these people are local leaders in that district.

“We welcome the winning team of Umzingwane.” he said.

Kurauone Chihwayi, deputy spokesperson of Ncube’s MDC told the Daily News yesterday: “I am not aware of those defections. The last time we had a similar problem in Gwanda when one councillor claimed to have defected with the rest of the councillors when it was not true. We will check and get back to you.” - Pindai Dube