By Elijah Chihota
The opposition MDC has become a pale shadow of itself and has failed to occupy the coveted address in Zimbabwe, the State Presidency of staying at Number One Chancellor Avenue in the party’s 20 years of existence. The party is now clutching at straws as its political star wanes in the horizon and now claims that they are targets for assassination and abduction.
It started with MDC Co-Vice President, Tendai Biti soon after the 2018 harmonised elections when after announcing election results and pledging to make the country ungovernable, he fled to Zambia. Biti pretends to be courageous, but on that day he gave a performance of a slay queen in order to enter into Zambia and seek asylum there. When he was turned back by the Zambians, Biti fumed and roared like a wounded lion quoting all international statutes on asylum seekers.
As if not to be outdone by Biti, MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa while coming from a poorly attended rally in Marondera in November 2018 claimed that he was targeted for abduction by security forces. What boggles the mind is that Chamisa as the “protected one” actually came out of his car and confronted the so-called security agents. This is a script that was taken out of a Hollywood film which does not happen in real life.
Chamisa’s recent antics is claiming that live ammunition was fired at him and his supporters while planting trees at Dombotombo Clinic in Marondera on 1 December 2019. There is a difference between a live bullet, a rubber bullet and a tear gas canister. Chamisa wanted to amplify his case claiming that live bullets were fired at him and his entourage and that they had to run for dear life. These were mere fabrications by Chamisa as he wants to put himself on the international limelight thinking that it would land him an accolade.
Chamisa was told by the regulating authority that what he wanted to do was not sanctioned, but in his arrogance he went ahead and this whole drama unfolded. No sniper worth his salt could have missed Chamisa at point blank. To show that all this was cooked up, Chamisa has disappeared from the scene probably to get further instructions from his handlers on the botched operation. Currently Biti is the acting MDC leader and Chamisa’s Tweeter handle was last active on 2 December 2019, so much drama from someone who wants to one day lead the nation is ridiculous.
MDC Deputy National Chairperson, Job Sikhala during a party rally in Bikita East Constituency in July 2019, made remarks which were treasonous in nature. In his booming voice Sikhala blurted out that the MDC would “overthrow him (Mnangagwa) before 2023 and that is not a joke”. These provocative words by Sikhala are typical of how the MDC is provocative and they would cry as victims when law enforcement agents steps in to restore order. When he was being taken to court over his President Emmerson Mnangagwa removal sentiments, Sikhala sugar coated the whole incident alleging attempted assassination and abduction.
When shots were fired at MDC Marondera Central legislator, Caston Matewu’s residence in August 2019, the MDC was swift in condemning Government and ZANU PF. Above all they went on to upgrade this as an attempted assassination. Matewu is just a legislator and no one wants to assassinate him. To this day there is known threat on Matewu’s life. What if these were purely armed robbers who were solely after money and other valuables? The MDC does not want to look further than their noses.
Mere road accidents involving Chamisa’s lawyer, Advocate Thabani Mpofu and the one that killed the late MDC legislator for Glen View South Constituency, Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java this year were again misconstrued as assassination attempts. Overspeeding, defective vehicles and careless drivers are some of the common causes of road accidents in Zimbabwe, but the MDC does not want to hear that side all they think of are assassinations.
Cyber troll,@Potonjere alleged that “Ruhanya (Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya) helped his associates to install trackers and recorders in Hwende’s 2 cars. The plan is to kill Hwende either by accident or by poisoning. I am yet to ascertain whether Ruhanya is cooperating with the full knowledge that his “friend” is one foot in the grave’. Potonjere wanted to misconstrue that MDC National Organising Secretary, Charlton Hwende was under security surveillance and that his life was in danger. No one is going after Hwende. If the truth can be said, Hwende is actually a failure in his current party portfolio and as a legislator, hence these acrobatics to justify his poor showing in the constituency and the MDC.
To add icing to the well choreographed MDC script, comedian Samantha Kureya and disgruntled Dr Peter Magombeyi faked their own abduction in order to add weight to MDC claims of abductions and assassinations. This well rehearsed fake abduction script earned Kureya alias Gonyeti a questionable Human Rights Defender of the year award by the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (SAHRDN).
Dr Magombeyi failed to impress because his story was too good to be true, hence his handlers had to drop him. The MDC then distanced itself from him after realising that his story was a fake one and wanted to earn a few dollars in the process.
