MDC Alliance to dump traditional red colour identity
By Nkosana Dlamini
The Nelson Chamisa led MDC Alliance plans to abandon its traditional red colour for anything that could differentiate it from the Douglas Mwonzora led MDC-T faction which has won the fight for party assets and other forms of identity.
Chamisa on Thursday took to Twitter to tease the party faithful on their colour choice, inviting frenzied comments from both followers and foes on his thread.
“Colour is a language! Colour lights up the environment and illuminates the atmosphere. The future is exciting. We must be different. But which colour is the future? Green, Red, Blue, Orange, White or Yellow??” Chamisa said.
There is something significant about Orange. It reminds me of the popular Orange Revolution in Ukraine. Orange it is.
— Majaira Jairosi (@MJairosi) December 23, 2021
MDC Alliance is keen to totally disconnect with the Mwonzora group which was granted rights to the opposition empire following a fierce power wrangle ignited by the 2018 death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
MDC-T has been favoured with government funding under the Political Parties Finance Act, leaving its rival faction seeking for donations to keep party activities up and running.
MDC Alliance would however not be the first of the many party factions that have abandoned the traditional red colour in the wake of an identity clash with rival groups.
Welshman Ncube’s MDC faction, the first to secede from the main wing of the party 2005, later turned to green as its colour identity.
Similarly, Tendai Biti’s MDC faction, later renamed PDP, also adopted orange.
Both top politicians are now back as Chamisa deputies under the MDC Alliance banner.
MDC Alliance has also considered change of name after Mwonzora’s MDC-T has claimed it was the genuine right holder to the name MDC Alliance.
Meanwhile, MDC Alliance supporters and foes have given their opinions about suggestions of a change of colour.
@MJairosi was in favour of orange, saying, “There is something significant about Orange. It reminds me of the popular Orange Revolution in Ukraine. Orange it is.”
@davmmus was quick to warn MDC Alliance could be playing into the hands of a PDP faction that was also granted rights over the breakaway group to a point of recalling Biti and colleagues from parliament.
“Why not make it purple for a change? Those command acolytes who dragged VeeP Biti may haul the party to the courts again,” he said.
Why not make it purple for a change?
Those command acolytes who dragged VeeP Biti may haul the party to the courts again.— Daᴠirai Ϻusiƞɡɑrɑƅωi (@davmmus) December 23, 2021
Orange is associated with warmth, enthusiasm, creativity, success, encouragement, change, determination, health, happiness, balance, freedom of expression. The color orange is stimulating, vibrant & flamboyant
— Munya Simango (@MunyaSimango) December 23, 2021
Zanu PF has too many yellow t shirts so yellow is a NO, Blue there is a political party that used blue in the last election, though the party is dead now but still some folks still wear the blue regalia, l think Orange is the new Red and we will surely shine in it.
— Needmorelords (@needmorelords) December 23, 2021
Chamisa betrays Morgan Tsvangirai legacy as he drops MDC name and MDC red color‼️
The boy is about to form his own party. When he grabbed MDC on death of Tsvangirai he lied that he will continue with Tsvangirai’s legacy. pic.twitter.com/Ekvv9HacAq
— 🇿🇼 ZANU PF PATRIOTS 🇿🇼 (@zanupf_patriots) December 23, 2021