by Christopher Makaza
There is a concerted effort by the MDC elements to incite civil disobedience in the form of protests, following, the recalling of that party’s four legislators from Parliament on Tuesday.
Social media is awash with messages inciting youths, to unleash massive demonstrations while, behind the scenes, the distressed MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa`s camp is holding a series of meetings to organise protests as a fight back strategy.
In line with the Supreme Court judgement which ruled that Chamisa’s ascent to the leadership of that party in 2018 was against the MDC constitution, Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda and Senate President, Mabel Chinomona sanctioned the recall of the legislators by the Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T.
MDC activist and former ZINASU Secretary General, Makomborero Haruzivishe is among the many MDC members who have been at the forefront of inciting violence.
“All the conditions that sparked the liberation struggle for Zimbabwe are in place tenfold. It has become clearer now than ever that there is only one solution, ‘revolution’. The time for ‘People Power’ is now for people power is stronger than the people in power,” he tweeted.
MDC-Alliance Secretary for Public Service and Social Welfare Maureen Kademaunga also posted a video clip of MDC-Alliance supporters singing an inciting song named Chimurenga chatsva gadzirirai tiende, (war has started, get prepared to participate).
The video clip was captioned, “We are prepared to defend and rescue the future of this country! We will organise from the townships, the plastic shack in the cities to the last grass hut in the country in defence of democracy, the people's movement, our country.”
Relatedly, fugitive and former ZANU PF Politburo member, Professor Jonathan Moyo responded that the recall did not trigger a commensurate response from the people, nothing will. Moyo alleged that the decision by Mudenda and Chinomona to recall MDC-A legislators was a ZANU PF project.
Responding to the development for the first time on his Twitter page, Chamisa on Wednesday said it was time to fight back.
Chamisa and his lieutenants accuse President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Government of using the courts and other state institutions to persecute the party, after it refused to recognise his 2018 election victory.
Meanwhile, political analysts have highlighted that Chamisa and his cabal should understand that the recall of MDC legislators has nothing to do with ZANU-PF or the Government; rather it’s a purely an in-house issue.
“People should understand that it was an MDC official who brought the issue before the courts challenging Chamisa`s leadership, it was not a ZANU PF member or a Government official. So claims that President Emmerson Mnangagwa`s Government is behind this are unfounded,” said political analyst Tendai Muchadehama.
Addressing a media conference in Harare after a Politburo meeting at the ruling party’s headquarters yesterday, ZANU-PF Secretary for Administration, Dr Obert Mpofu said the ruling party did not have a hand in the vicious infighting within the opposition party.
Cde Mpofu highlighted that chaos in the opposition party was a result of legal processes that were settled by the courts.
Meanwhile, a selected team of MDC-Alliance top security officials held a meeting yesterday night after their National Standing Committee meeting to plan on how to execute violent demonstrations across the country amid COVID-19 lockdown.
A contact who attended the meeting revealed that the top leadership agreed to divert funds mobilised by UK based Leicestershire MDC-A branch meant for COVID-19 response to fund the intended demonstrations.
“It was resolved during the meeting that close to US$25 300 which was mobilised by UK Leicester branch to make the party visible in fight against the deadly COVID-19 be channelled towards funding the demonstrations which are scheduled anytime soon. Pro-Chamisa MDC-A youths are on the forefront calling for the demonstrations,” said the contact.
During the meeting, the contact said, some officials proposed to wait until the end of the 14 day lockdown to execute the demonstrations while others suggested that they were supposed to take advantage of the current improved movement of people due to relaxation of lockdown regulations.
The contact revealed that the opposition elements were planning to take advantage of large gatherings like ZUPCO and mealie meal queues to execute simultaneous demonstrations across the country.
Meanwhile, Khupe, who set up the MDC-T ahead of the 2018 elections, said she had dissolved her own party and was now the leader of the “unified” MDC following a Supreme Court judgement, which recognised her as late Morgan Tsvangirai’s interim successor.
The former Deputy Prime Minister said the ruling gave her the powers to recall the MDC Alliance legislators.
The recall of the legislators has caused panic within the opposition legislators as they are not sure of who is next to being recalled.
