Pearson Mbalekwa

Pearson Mbalekwa
Pearson Mbalekwa
Born	Pearson Meeting Mbalekwa
Occupation	Politician;
Organization	Zanu-PF
Known for	Being MDC-T national security advisor

Pearson Meeting Mbalekwa is a Zimbabwean politician and member of Zanu-PF. He is a former MDC-T national security advisor and former Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) officer.

Background

Mbalekwa is related to Emmerson Mnangagwa.^[1]

Career

Mbalekwa was the member of parliament for Zvishavane and a Zanu-PF central committee member. He resigned in 2005 protesting Operation Murambatsvina which displaced over 700 000 people and destroyed the livelihoods of many more. At the time he described the campaign as 'callous and inhumane,' and told a local weekly newspaper,

I am a man of principle and could not be seen to be part of the whole exercise which has caused untold suffering to people whom we claim to represent.

^[2]

After serving as a Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) officer for 12 years he joined the MDC-T in 2007 as a special advisor to Morgan Tsvangirai and then moved up the ladder to the post of national security advisor after Dr Martin Rupiya unceremoniously quit.

In September 2013, Mbalekwa quit MDC-T in protest over what he described as warped policies, indiscipline and lack of trust by the party’s top brass who doubted his loyalty because of his intelligence background. In an exclusive interview with the Zimbabwe Independent, he said he would concentrate on his personal life and retire entirely from politics. Mbalekwa was accused of leaking information to Zanu-PF. When asked at the time of his resignation on whether he would rejoin Zanu PF, Mbalekwa replied that he would not join with because the leadership that was at the helm of the party.^[1]

However, on 22 May 2017, Mbalekwa participated in a Zanu-PF primary election for Chiwundura Constituency despite the party being ruled by the leadership he said would prevent him from rejoining the party. He was declared the winner after he polled 1511 votes ahead of 20 other candidates who were in the election race.^[3]

On 23 May 2017, Mbalwkwa announced that he was stepping down as Zanu-PF's representative in the Chiwundura by-election. He stated that the decision to step down was necessitated by the fact that his child who was abroad was not feeling well. Said Mbalekwa:

I would like to announce that I have voluntarily withdrawn from participating in the Chiwundura Constituency by-elections. This is my sole decision because my child who is abroad is not feeling well and I felt my attention will be divided and I won’t cope with the immense pressure of elections. I will assist in the best way I could to ensure the candidate who will represent the party wins.

Revelations by Saviour Kasukuwere indicated that Mbalekwa's application to run in the Zanu-PF primaries had been rejected for undisclosed reasons.^[4]

Forming Political Party

He led the United People’s Movement which he claimed was being supported secretly by Emmerson Mnangagwa. In leaked cables he said that the then independent Tsholotsho legislator Jonathan Moyo and former Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front provincial chairman for Masvingo Daniel Shumba were in the party’s national executive. He confirmed that the UPM was talking to but not actively courting both MDC factions and had no plans to join in any MDC-led mass action. ^[5]