MDC-T slam malicious insults aimed at Tsvangirai

HARARE – The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has slammed what it terms as malicious insults being thrown at its leader Morgan Tsvangirai by former colleagues who are now in the breakaway MDC Renewal Team.

A statement by party spokesman Obert Gutu fingered Jacob Mafume and former Secretary General Tendai Biti.

Gutu said the party took issue with their leader being compared to the late Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin.

“Whilst we have absolutely no problem with being constructively criticized by fellow politicians; it becomes a completely different ball game when such criticism is riddled with crass personal insults and other innuendos that are generally out of sync with civilized and decent political discourse,” Gutu said.

“The so – called MDC Renewal has spent an enormous amount of time and negative energy propagating crude personal insults against the person of Morgan Tsvangirai instead of focusing their energies on crucial national issues such as the crippling power and water shortages, massive closure of companies and the continuing pauperization of the majority of the people of Zimbabwe as a direct consequence of Zanu PF misrule, corruption and mis-governance.

“As the MDC-T, we will not descend to the level of our erstwhile colleagues in the so – called MDC Renewal who seem to be pre – occupied and fascinated with petty and inconsequential matters instead of concentrating on the real cause of the people’s suffering; i.e. Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF dictatorship.

Gutu said they will be rolling out programs that will include “peaceful demonstrations that are aimed at forcing the Zanu PF regime to make sure that the electoral playing field is leveled and also that the government of the day urgently addresses the humiliating socio – economic suffering that continues to afflict the majority of the people on a day to day basis.”