President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s hopes of destabilising the
opposition through underhand dealings and his hopes of turning around the
worsening economy alone will fail because he is not God, MDC leader Nelson
Chamisa has said.
The youthful leader made the bold statements on Friday
evening while officially opening the MDC Midlands caucus in Gweru.
In apparent reference to the recent High Court ruling made
by Justice Edith Mushore nullifying his leadership of the MDC, Chamisa accused
Zanu PF and its leader of burning the midnight oil plotting to destroy the opposition through underhand
mechanisms.
“Zanu PF is panicking … now they are trying to stop our
congress. They will not have everything go their way. ED (President Mnangagwa) is
not God. He cannot have all his wishes succeed. Look at the economy, it is giving him problems. He
is failing to deal even with sewerage blockages in towns,” he said.
Chamisa vowed that the congress will go ahead despite the
court ruling.“The court is trying to stop us. But we will not stop. This
party is no longer touchable. We have just come from the late Morgan
Tsvangirai’s memorial to appease the spirit of our
founding father. That was not in vain. It will give our
party strength to fulfil his agenda for change,” he said.
“We are aware of mechanisms by Zanu PF to destabilise our
party. They want to divert focus of the masses. Our focus is politics. We
respect what judges say. We respect our lawyers, but above all we are a political party. We formed this party
alone. Our congress will go ahead.”
Chamisa warned MDC top officials he said were working with
Zanu PF to destroy the party from within, saying they would be kicked out at
congress.
“We are changing the direction of the party. We will no longer
just walk with anyone. We will scrutinise our leaders. We need genuine cadres.
At the congress, we are going to tie to the
plough the oxen that pull. If you are a cadre working with
our enemy, we will not tolerate. This is a people’s party. We want to start
counting each other. Those who are not with us can go out. This party is now too strong, it will not split,”
he said.
Douglas Mwonzora, the current MDC secretary-general,
together with deputy president Elias Mudzuri, have been accused of working with
Zanu PF and fingered as behind the court application that challenged Chamisa’s leadership.
Presenting his manifesto during the caucus, Mwonzora
avoided the subject and, instead, narrated his history in the opposition
pointing to his commitment to the MDC party. He also
expressed loyalty to Chamisa.
“If elected to retain my post in the MDC, I will tirelessly
fight for electoral reforms that will see our leader Nelson Chamisa safely
going to occupy State House,” he said.
“I have worked in Copac and in the MDC on top posts. If
elected to be secretary-general again, I will work on electoral reforms to
ensure Nelson Chamisa goes to State House.”
He was not jeered as Chamisa kept warning the crowd against
such conduct and, at one time, Mwonzora received an ovation during his speech.
Chamisa dismissed the notion that MDC-T leader Thokozani
Khupe had been given the greenlight to take over the MDC Alliance by the
Mushore ruling.
The youthful leader said he went to elections last year
under different parties with Khupe and it was unimaginable how someone can come
and take over their neighbour’s house. He said Khupe was welcome at Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House only
as a visitor.
Chamisa also charged that government should avail funds
owed to MDC under the Political Parties Act and warned against the State channelling
the funds towards Khupe’s MDC-T on the basis of the Mushore High Court ruling.
Other party cadres who addressed the caucus included
vice-presidency aspirants, Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti and Senator Morgen
Komichi. Mudzuri did not pitch up due to ill health.
Joel Guebuza and Thabitha Khumalo, who are vying for the
national chairman’s post, also presented their manifestos. Charlton Hwende and
Daniel Molokele told the crowd about their ambitions to be party secretary-general, while David
Coltart and Tapiwa Mashakada shared their visions as treasurer-general
aspirants. Newsday
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