The MDC Alliance is lining up former statesmen, leading opposition leaders and presidents in the region to attend its elective congress at the end of the month.
Former Botswana president Ian Khama is first choice as guest of honour to witness Nelson Chamisa being installed as leader of the main opposition.
Chamisa is uncontested for the top job after his nearest rivals, Elias Mudzuri and Douglas Mwonzora, failed to win provincial nominations.
The leader-in-waiting visited Khama in Gaborone last month in what party insiders said was part of a diplomatic initiative to meet elder statesmen and stateswomen across the continent "to drink from their wisdom" and "seek their understanding of our trajectory as a continent".
Insiders said Khama had been chosen as guest of honour ahead of Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, whose schedule ahead of Wednesday's elections in SA had made arrangements with him difficult to make.
Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta had also been considered, the sources said.
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, a friend of the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Chamisa, is expected to be one of several leaders at the congress.
Khama has been in the eye of the storm recently after reportedly clashing with his successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi. He had run-ins with former president Robert Mugabe while he was at the helm in Botswana.
Chamisa's spokesperson, Nkululeko Sibanda, said the MDC was awaiting replies to invitations it had issued to the congress. "The nature of turf politics in Africa means that a very small number of them may even consider coming," he said.
It is understood that the MDC leadership has agreed to invite ruling and opposition parties from the Southern African Development Community and African Union, specifically Botswana, SA, Kenya, Rwanda and Nigeria.
Party spokesman Jacob Mafume declined to identify the proposed guest of honour until "all the diplomatic protocols have been dealt with".
Political analyst Malvern Mukudu said the fact that Chamisa was unchallenged mimicked Zanu-PF politics, in which leaders avoid open contests in public.
Ricky Mukonza, a Zimbabwean political analyst who teaches at Tshwane University of Technology in SA, said Chamisa's dominance would remove the "shadow of illegitimacy" that had hovered over his leadership since Tsvangirai's death."The fact that he is going to the congress uncontested settles that question and allows him to begin a new reign in the party. He is able to be his own man now," said Mukonza.However, the phenomenon of uncontested party leaders represented a continuation of the "big man" syndrome in African politics."If one looks at Mugabe during his reign in Zanu-PF, he was never contested at congresses, and the same applies to Tsvangirai," said Mukonza."This creates larger-than-life leaders who are difficult to demand accountability from."While it is good in creating a strong presidency, which may be a necessity in managing the transition from the Tsvangirai era to the new one, I am pessimistic about its ability to promote internal party democracy."How things will turn out will largely depend on how Chamisa will exercise the power bestowed on him."..