Futile attempts to destroy MDC-T: Mwonzora

By Douglas Mwonzora

The MDC remains committed to delivering real change and transformation to the people of Zimbabwe, despite Zanu PF’s monumental rigging of the people’s vote in the 31 July national elections.

The party leadership including President Tsvangirai is currently engaging all the party’s structures across the country to hear the people’s concerns after their victory to a new democratic Zimbabwe was shamelessly stolen by the Zanu PF regime.

These engagements have helped the party to re-strategize and restructure its membership. The MDC remains united and focused despite the futile attempts by Zanu PF and State security agents to try to decimate the people’s party.

On a social front, the MDC is seriously concerned by the persistent power cuts happening across the country, which have affected the people’s day to day lives and the growth of the economy as industries have no electricity most of the time.

Mayors/ Councillors

The MDC internal investigation on its councillors who defied the party’s Constitution and rules is on-going in Mutare, Victoria Falls, Redcliff, Norton and Gweru.

The disciplinary committee members are; Hon. Shepherd Mushonga, Hon. Sibusisiwe Masara and Senator James Makore. A report will be made public as soon as the investigations are complete. However, no councillor or mayor has been expelled from the party contrary to some media reports and are carrying out their duties as elected local council authorities.

Senator Komichi

The MDC is seriously concerned by the continued denial of bail to the party’s national deputy chairperson and senator-elect, Hon. Morgen Komichi.

Senator Komichi is on trial at the Harare Magistrates’ Court facing fictitious and man-made charges of contravening the country’s laws and was denied bail this week for the fifth time at the High Court.

As the MDC, our position is that Senator Komichi is innocent because he discovered an attempt to rig the election but instead of being a State witness to the crime, he is now the accused. The right to bail is a constitutional right, which the courts must honor. How the State is treating Senator Komichi is not different to what happened to the MDC members including the Youth Assembly President, Hon. Solomon Madzore, who were remanded in custody for over two years in connection with Glen View murder trial only for some of them to be acquitted last month.

If denying Senator Komichi bail is meant to break the MDC spirit, then the Zanu PF attempts are doomed to fail because the MDC remains committed, united and will not give up on its benign fight for justice, equality, freedom and democracy, prosperity and hope. Despite what the detractors are saying, the MDC is united and is getting stronger.

Police repression

The MDC further notes with grave concern the increase in police and State security agents’ brutality on innocent and defenseless citizens across the country.

On Tuesday, hundreds of families were left homeless in Mapinga, Banket, Mashonaland West after a group of vicious and heavily armed police officers destroyed and burnt their huts.

What is clear is that these families who have been at the farm for less than four months were brought in by Zanu PF to vote for its candidates in the 31 July elections. Now that the elections are gone these poor families are being discarded like dirt and have been left to face the vagaries of weather.

On Monday, at the Hwange Colliery mine, the police violently disrupted a demonstration staged by over 100 defenceless women who were demanding outstanding salaries and allowances for their spouses who have not been paid for over five months. These women and some children were viciously assaulted by the police with baton sticks and booted feet.

This suppression of the demonstration was in clear violation of Section 58 the new Constitution which clearly provides for freedom to demonstrate. This shows that Zanu PF, through the police, is bent on subverting the people’s rights enshrined in the new Constitution.

The MDC’s message to the people of Zimbabwe is that they should remain united and peacefully resist Zanu PF’s attempts of bringing Zimbabwe to instability and retrogression. The MDC remains committed to fighting for the people’s rights, for freedom, democracy, prosperity and hope.

Our footprint remains engraved in the political landscape of this nation and the movement cannot be wished away. We will fight until Zimbabwe becomes a state in which all its people are proud representatives of the nation.

Douglas Mwonzora is the spokesman for the MDC-T led by Morgan Tsvangirai