THE fissures emerging from within the rank and file of the
ruling Zanu PF party have grabbed the attention of MDC leader Nelson Chamisa,
who is looking to capitalise on the internal fights to upstage President
Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Chamisa, who has refused to recognise Mnangagwa’s
presidency, said his party was eagerly following the challenges in Zanu PF and
the internal fights which saw Mnangagwa calling on the Zanu PF youth league to
flush out remnants of the G40 faction in his party.
“We are watching what is happening. We are very clear about
the developments. We also know in Zanu PF, there are developments there. We are
closely watching. Action is coming, but action will only come when we have done
what has to be done. You may think that we are not doing anything; we are
pulling all our strength to make sure that we tighten all the screws so that
when we do what has to be done, there will not be any problem,” Chamisa said in
a video he recorded live on Facebook.
The MDC, which has been struggling to make inroads into
rural Zimbabwe, said it was activating a plan which would help them field 210
parliamentary candidates and councillors in all wards in the next general
election so that they match and beat Zanu PF.
“We are already preparing for our candidates where we don’t
have a seating MP, particularly in the rural areas. We want to make sure that
we go big on the rural strategy; we go big on rural elections. I know you have
been wondering what’s happening on the issue of by-elections, we know what we
are doing. We are studying, assessing our weak points, our strong points, where
our competitors are manipulating our parents in the rural areas, so that we
deal with it and are able to move forward,” Chamisa added.
The opposition leader said this week he would be presenting
a Hope of The Nation Address, in which he will outline the path which the MDC
wants the country to take in the face of an economic meltdown.
“We are very clear about what has to be done. I know the
suffering that is out there. I have been without electricity myself here for
almost 16 hours and I can tell you that I am retreating to my village because
it’s better there,” Chamisa said.
“We are going to be delivering the Hope of The Nation
Address. It’s going to deal with a lot of issues; our perspectives,
economically, politically and socially, our thoughts and the way forward in our
view and what has to be done for this country.”
Chamisa said he was working towards building a stronger
party with a branch denoted by every polling station in the country.
“We are in the process of working on a number of activities
to strengthen our party. We are now moving from being a top-heavy party to
being a grassroots-driven party that has lower structures,” he said.
“That’s what we are already working on to make sure we
strengthen our branches, so every polling station is going to have branch
structures. We are trying to work on our election preparedness, targeting our
first time voters. We want to capture young people so that they take us
forward.”
Mnangagwa has been battling to ensure a united Zanu PF
since he came to power following a coup in November 2017 amid fears that some
parliamentarians were out to impeach him with the help of MDC legislators.
Addressing a youth league meeting last Thursday, Mnangagwa
said he was aware of the seemingly vanquished G40 elements in the party and
they needed to be flushed out.
“I, however, commend those who have remained loyal and
faithful to the party and its leadership, especially these moments of
manifestations by those we perceive to be one of us. I encourage you all to
continue to work hard for the good of the party and guard against the whims of
the enemies of our party. We still have elements of the G40 participating among
us as wolves in sheep’s clothing these must be flushed out, not only in the
youth league, but also within the rank and file of the party in general,” said
Mnangagwa in a speech that has excited Chamisa. Newsday
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