by Tawanda Musariri
The losing MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa is furnishing its war chest ahead of the conclusion of the court petition against President Mnangagwa’s victory.
The case, which is to be broadcast live on international news on Wednesday, is expected to put to rest the electoral dispute.
Faced with the risk of falling into political oblivion, Chamisa is raring for a fight, justified or otherwise. In his whirlwind campaign tour ahead of the election, the youthful leader is on record saying he will not accept any result short of declaring him a winner.
Sources close to Harvest House say the party is in a pensive mood and has put its youth structures countrywide on torque in readiness for violence in a desperate attempt to force Zanu PF to share the spoils of power yet at the same time putting the country on the international spotlight.
Gerald Fokisa, a youth leader in Chitungwiza is reportedly leading work round the clock, together with youth leaders in Harare and Chitungwiza to cause chaos reminiscent of the ugly August 1 scenes.
The MDC lost parliamentary elections 63-145 against Zanu PF with Chamisa receiving 44.3% against president Mnangagwa’s 50.8% on the Presidential vote.
In a recent mobilization meeting for this purpose in Chitungwiza, Fokisa is said to have echoed Chamisa’s statement that, ‘tozvidira mavhu izvi tikasahwinha kuCourt.” The Party’s Organisation Secretariat is seized with this matter. Chamisa, in his campaign messages said, “If Zanu PF wins this election, we will make the country ungovernable; we will spray sand into the pot of sadza.”
The MDC youth league is carving its latest trend of arrogance from the party leader, with the undisguised intent of using violence as a political tool.
Asked why the MDC is behaving in this manner despite the irony of its name talking of democracy, a political commentator who declined to be named said, “The MDC is craving for power and is ready to use any means necessary to achieve this end. To them, if democracy fails, it begins to be treated as an impediment that must be done away with. The Constitutional Court is their last hope. So, if this hope has been exhausted without affirmative results, the party will not mind soiling its image for political expediency. To them, there will be nothing to lose. A cornered cat has no other option but to advance, whether or not such advance will deliver it victory or annihilation.”
Chamisa acquired the reins of the party through brute force after he, together with party goons jettisoned Thokozani Khupe out of the party shortly after the death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai in February.
