By Mugove Tafirenyika
ZANU PF has dismissed allegations by the opposition MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa that the ruling party has a proclivity for plagiarism as baseless.
Two weeks ago, Chamisa said the MDC Alliance—his vehicle going into the forthcoming elections — will not publicise its election manifesto until Zanu PF had published its own to avoid the bootlegging of the document.
However, Zanu PF spokesperson yesterday Simon Khaya Moyo dismissed the allegations as “hogwash”.
“What I can say is that we have nothing to do with any other party’s manifesto because we don’t make reference to other parties’ policy documents so it is all nonsensical,” Khaya Moyo said adding that “we have our own manifesto which will be launched soon after our primary elections when all candidates are known”.
Speaking during an interview with South Africa’s ANN7, a fortnight ago Chamisa revealed that the MDC Alliance had concluded its policy document but would hold on to it for now “to avoid theft of ideas”.
The document which forms the basis of the coalition of seven opposition parties’ manifesto deals with five fundamental issues to jumpstart the national economy, Chamisa said.
“We are very conscious that we need to state the what and how and when of our policies, but we are also quite mindful that the proclamation of the date of the elections has not been done.
“We know our colleagues in Zanu PF are very good at manipulating our policies, they have done so through president (Emmerson) Mnangagwa, who has been literally copying and pasting our policies, not that we are worried if it’s good for the nation,” Chamisa said.
Chamisa and Mnangagwa have been touted as the main contenders in this year’s presidential race.
Soon after its inauguration in December last year Mnangagwa announced his government’s economic direction which immediately unsettled the MDC as officials pointed out that he had cloned some policies from its own economic blueprints.
MDC Manicaland spokesperson Trevor Saruwaka was the first to throw a salvo sarcastically suggesting that he was “happy that the new president is stealing our ideas”.
“Our desire as MDC is for Zimbabweans to live well. We have never once refused to advise government to improve the welfare of Zimbabweans.
“Mnangagwa found it fit to start stealing ideas coming from MDC so that it helps the nation and is something quite commendable and positive,” Saruwaka said.
“What the nation should realise is that the positive they will see are MDC ideas but those things that will be amiss will be Zanu PF.
“But when MDC gets custody of government after the next elections things will be even much better. Let them try to copy as much as possible to improve the economy,” he said. Daily News
