I’m praying for Mugabe’s health: Chamisa

By Farayi Machamire

MDC’s Nelson Chamisa, pictured, has said he is praying for good health for President Robert Mugabe so he lives beyond 2018 “to see a new MDC-run Zimbabwe in which he will need not travel overseas for healthcare.”

This comes as the 93-year-old leader continues to splurge millions on frequent foreign healthcare travels, a habit which has infuriated long-suffering Zimbabweans failing to access basic drugs, including pain killers, at most public hospitals.

Currently, the State-run hospitals are in a sorry state, with the institutions not having been retooled in a long time, while doctors and crucial health professionals recently called off a crippling three-week strike over poor remuneration, among other concerns.

Addressing a rally in the densely-populated Mufakose suburb on Sunday, the MDC vice president said the deepening socio-economic and political crisis was testament that Zimbabwe was on the verge of change.

He said the hoped for transition will indirectly benefit Mugabe — Zimbabwe’s only president since the country’s independence 37 years ago.

“When we get into power in 2018 . . . these hospitals you see are not going to be death traps that you see today in which you have to go with your own water and  . . . drugs,” Chamisa told the gathered crowd.

“These hospitals will be five-star hospitals . . . others are going to fake injuries just to get into hospital. When we get into power, I am praying that . . . Mugabe will still be alive to enjoy those benefits,” he said, igniting applause.

“I want him to get healthcare at Parirenyatwa and not in Singapore. It’s my greatest wish. To show that we can do it as Zimbabweans, after all we have the best doctors. Let Zimbabwe be a country of excellence.”

Chamisa added that Zimbabwe’s rot did not need a rocket scientist or witch doctor to decipher, adding any ordinary Zimbabwean can see that bad governance has driven the country to the verge of collapse.

“Things are difficult in Zimbabwe not because of bad luck but bad governance,” he said.

The party’s’ youth were launching a door-to-door voter registration campaign dubbed Bereka Mwana to urge party members to register as voters ahead of next year’s general elections.

And the Kuwadzana legislator grabbed the opportunity to promise a utopian society under the MDC, if they are voted into power.

The changes included a change of governance culture, separation of party politics and government business, infrastructure development, provision of social services and greater international cooperation.

Chamisa said the party’s road map can only be implemented if every citizen registers to vote.

“The people in Zanu PF want us to help them, and we have to help them but all of us need to register to vote,” he said.

“Every revolution is shaped by the circumstances of that time . . . the new bullet we have is the ballot . . . if you are youth and you have never voted know that you are the other reason for the problems we are facing, if you are a mother, a father, and you have never voted know that you are the other reason we are facing these problems.”

The MDC has been realigning forces with the war veterans and Chamisa reiterated the party’s open tent policy insisting they are open to a grand coalition to struggling and fledgling opposition parties alike.

“We are saying ana Biti ana Mangoma, chero muchinakidzwa nekuridza ngoma yenyu, ngoma inonaka inenge ichiyambutsa nyika, iyoyo inorohwa na Save, siyai dzimwe ngoma muuye kuno. (We are saying to People’s Democratic Party president Tendai Biti and Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe president Elton Mangoma the only credible political party is the one led by MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai),” Chamisa said.

“Tiri kuti kunana Mujuru hongu basa ringabatwe asi mujuru wakasimba ndiwo wakabatwa na Save.”

“All parties let’s unite and see how we can overcome this problem. Can we be less than dogs? Dogs will never eat each other no matter how hungry they are.  As Zimbabweans we must be united . . . no one should be beaten for their political persuasion.”

He said the MDC “will not repeat the mistake of the 2013 election”, insisting the party will not enter a plebiscite that will not be preceded by electoral reforms.

“We can’t be less than a Form Four student who will refuse to write examinations whose questions were not drawn from the syllabus,” he said. Daily News