by Innocent Mujeri
The acting MDC-T National Chairperson, Morgan Komichi has rubbished the planned #31July2020 protests saying only selfish leaders who want to push personal agendas will mobilise people to stage a demonstration amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with this publication, Komichi said all efforts should be harnessed to preserve life, which was being threatened by the escalation of COVID-19 cases in Zimbabwe.
“This is not the time for political grandstanding. We should be sitting together and see how we can save our people from this pandemic. A leader worth his salt will discourage people from gathering as they might be exposed to the virus. As MDC-T we will not be part of the protests,” said Komichi.
Komichi further said it was clear that the organisers of the protests were pushing a personal agenda meant to serve their interests.
“It’s now clear that the organisers of the #31July2020 demonstrations are pushing a personal selfish agenda, which is not to the best interest of the country. If the protests were indeed for corruption as they allege, why then didn’t they consult other stakeholders? Why staging the protests amid COVID-19 pandemic as if that will be a panacea to the corrupt activities across the country.
“As MDC-T, we have been excluded from the organisation of the demonstration and as such, we have told our members not to participate in this illegal demonstration,” said Komichi.
Meanwhile, there are reports that the MDC-Alliance formation led by Nelson Chamisa has escalated plans to infiltrate the MDC-T in a bid to cause animosity among the senior members of that party.
A source within the MDC-Alliance who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity said a recent National Standing Committee agreed to escalate efforts to destabilise the MDC-T ahead of the planned Extra Ordinary Congress (EOC).
“The leadership agreed that seeds of confusion should be sown within the MDC-T in order to destabilise that party before the planned EOC. Chamisa tasked Amos Chibaya to devise means that will saw the infiltration of the MDC-T. The idea is to destroy MDC-T from within,” said the source.
The same source further said that a meeting held yesterday in Harare where Douglas Mwonzora was nominated as the presidential candidate for the Extra Ordinary Congress was Chamisa’s plan to cause divisions with the MDC-T.
However, Komichi dismissed the meeting that endorsed Mwonzora as a non-event as it was not sanctioned by that party.
“A group of about 30 overexcited people convened an illegal meeting where they reportedly endorsed Secretary General Mwonzora to be the presidential candidate. Our investigations revealed that people who endorsed Mwonzora are not bonafide members of our party but hired thugs meant to cause chaos within the party. As a party we have seen through this divisive tactic and we will not be swayed by such kindergarten politics,” said Komichi.
Komichi further said the MDC-T had suspended the nomination process as they were seeking authority from the courts to postpone the holding of the EOC due to COVID-19-induced lockdown.
Efforts to get a comment from MDC-T Acting president Dr Thokozani Khupe were fruitless as she referred all questions to her spokesperson Khalipani Pugeni, who was not picking up his calls.
