×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

‘Beware the last kicks of a dying horse’

Politics
The MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai Thursday accused Zanu PF of infiltrating his party and causing the chaos that characterised preparations for the congress which kicked off Friday in Bulawayo. The MDC-T‘s elections to choose provincial leaders were marred by violence and allegations of factionalism which threatened to tear the party apart. “We are aware that […]

The MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai Thursday accused Zanu PF of infiltrating his party and causing the chaos that characterised preparations for the congress which kicked off Friday in Bulawayo.

The MDC-T‘s elections to choose provincial leaders were marred by violence and allegations of factionalism which threatened to tear the party apart.

“We are aware that Zanu PF is a stakeholder in this congress,” Tsvangirai said in his keynote address to about 5 000 delegates attending the congress.

The congress ends today (Saturday).

“They (Zanu PF) want a certain outcome but we have survived infiltration before and we will overcome forever.”

Tsvangirai said there would be no tolerance of violence in his party.

“There will be no sanctioning of corruption in the MDC and there will be no reward for patronage in the MDC. It is these traits that our party was born to eradicate. It is these traits that condemned an entire generation to poverty and repression and there can be no room for them in the New Zimbabwe,” he said.

Tsvangirai conceded the transfer of power in Zimbabwe was not a stroll in the park saying: “Our time in government has shown us that securing real transfer of power will be no easy task.”

He said his party should remain vigilant “as these enemies attempt to distract us with ill-gotten trinkets, false promises of empowerment and continued threats of violence”.

“It is lack of respect for our national security institutions that has led to this sad state of affairs; the police, the army and the intelligence service must be empowered to act professionally, impartially and abide by the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” Tsvangirai said.

“This will be achieved under our new government. National institutions serve the people and not certain political parties and once the people lose confidence in the security sector, the onus befalls those institutions to prove that they are worthy of the people’s trust.”

Tsvangirai praised Sadc facilitator Jacob Zuma and other regional leaders for their role in ensuring Zimbabwe did not slide into the abyss.

“The region has given us reason to believe that Sadc and the AU are ready to prevent the circus of 2008 that began in Kenya, was perfected in Zimbabwe but backfired with disastrous consequences in the Ivory Coast,” he said.

“This is the circus where losers of national elections are accommodated through power-sharing arrangements. We applaud the position of Sadc in ensuring that the process towards a free and fair election in Zimbabwe is fully supported, enhanced and consolidated.”

Tsvangirai said his party was in the last mile of the democratic struggle to create a “New Zimbabwe” but warned: “We all know that the last kicks of a dying horse are vicious.”