Movement for Democratic Change (2018)


The Movement for Democratic Change is a Zimbabwean opposition party formed in 2018 as a merger between various groups that had previously split, including Movement for Democratic Change – Ncube, the People's Democratic Party and the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai.

History

Following MDC–T President Morgan Tsvangirai's death in February 2018, co-vice president of the party Nelson Chamisa became the party's President. Tsvangirai had instructed Chamisa to lead the party upon his death and to bring back Welshman Ncube, President of the splinter party MDC–N, and Tendai Biti, President of the splinter party PDP, as part of the party's leadership. Chamisa agreed, despite being reluctant knowing that co-vice president and presidential contender Thokozani Khuphe would protest this outcome. Upon Chamisa's victory in the leadership contest, Khuphe announced in March that she was leaving the party and establishing a splinter party which would retain the MDC–T name and logos, which resulted in a legal battle.
In the July 2018 election, Chamisa, Ncube and Biti contested together as the MDC Alliance, while Khuphe contested as the much smaller MDC–T. In September, Chamisa appointed Ncube and Biti to become part of his leadership, at the same time as renaming his party to simply the Movement for Democratic Change. This effectively dissolved the MDC–N and PDP.