‘Ditch Harare-centric approach to politics and mobilisation’- Moyo tells MDC Alliance

By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Politics |

Former cabinet minister Jonathan Moyo has urged the main opposition MDC Alliance to avoid concentrating more on Harare than other constituencies ahead of the 2023 harmonized elections.

In his analysis, Moyo acknowledged that the MDC Alliance gunnered many supporters in Harare in the previous election but failed to mobilise the other constituencies beyond the capital city.

The opposition has a record of winning in towns and losing to Zanu PF in rural communities. Moyo urged the MDC Alliance to put more effort in mobilising supporters in other communities beyond Harare.

“When researching and preparing its election manifesto and campaign strategy, #ZanuPF identifies & spotlights the MDC-A’s weak links, with emphasis on the weakest. #ZanuPF too has many weak links; the MDC-A can gain strategic mileage by spotlighting ZanuPF’s WEAKEST link!

“A glaring weakness of the MDC-A is that it is Harare-centric; yet Zimbabwe is not Harare and Harare is not Zimbabwe. Conversely, #ZanuPF, as the military & the State in general, is strongest in Harare but is exposed and very vulnerable in the outskirts and around Zimbabwe!” Moyo said.

Of late, the MDC Alliance suffered setbacks after the smaller MDC-T party led by Douglas Mwonzora and Thokozani Khupe recalled more than 80 MPs and councillors who belonged to the bigger opposition party over allegations that they supported their leader, Nelson Chamisa.

This is despite the fact that the MPs and councillors had contested the last election under the MDC Alliance ticket.

But Moyo recommended that the MDC Alliance should not concentrate on fighting Mwonzora but discovering Zanu PF’s weakest points and mobilise supporters.

“While Zanu PF is missing in action as a political party, the MDC in all its suffixes is not faring any better; as it too is missing in action; not taking advantage of Zanu PF’s manifest slumber, because it is too preoccupied with its self-destruction triggered by @DMwonzora!” he said.

Moyo accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of using Mwonzora “as a willing tool to destroy the MDC Alliance by having him recall its MPs and councillors; dispossess it of its head office, Richard Morgan Tsvangirai House; steal its Parliamentary funds earned at the 2018 polls and demobilise it, politically!”

He added: “The public has been shocked, disappointed and dispirited by the MDC-A’s lack of any response to the recalls of its MPs and Councillors and the seizure of its headquarters and Parliamentary funds. All the MDC-A has been able to do is to keep turning the other cheek!

“In addition to having its elected representatives recalled, property seized & Parly funds stolen, the MDC-A has been the target of heavy infiltration ever since. To say the MDC-A is the most infiltrated party in Zimbabwe today would be the understatement of the century!” Nehanda Radio