Zanu PF is responsible for the demise of the first black military commander Retired General Solomon Mujuru, who died last Tuesday in a mysterious inferno at his Alamein Farm, MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti told about 20 000 party supporters at a campaign rally at Sakubva Stadium, Mutare, yesterday.
Mujuru, who was buried on Saturday, became the 94th national hero to be interred at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare.
Biti said the former liberation movement — Zanu PF — was renowned for its record of unleashing violence on opposition supporters and its own followers seen as defying party policy.
“We hold Zanu PF responsible for the killing of General Solomon Mujuru. Zanu PF invests in violence and they now engage in (burning) people. That’s the Zanu PF we know. Violence is in their DNA. That’s what they know best and their fingerprints show violence,” the MDC-T secretary said.
Biti’s statements came as emotions were running high over the unexplained death of Mujuru in a mysterious fire, whose cause is still subject to police investigation.
Although Zanu PF has ruled out foul play and condemned swelling speculation over the cause of the fire, Mujuru’s death will shake Zimbabwe’s political landscape and will rock the former ruling party, which is becoming increasingly fractious because of internecine clashes over who will succeed President Robert Mugabe.
Before Biti addressed the same gathering, MDC-T leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai asked party supporters to observe a minute of silence in honour of the late General Mujuru whose burial united Zimbabweans from across the political divide.
“It’s rare, very rare for one to be a people’s hero,” said Tsvangirai.
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“You don’t need a Zanu PF politburo to bestow that on you. It’s the people that bestow that recognition. People came at the National Heroes’ Acre in their numbers to bury the people’s hero. The struggle for people’s freedom is not a private or party affair.”
Turning to the just-ended Sadc Summit in Angola, Tsvangirai said he was convinced the regional bloc would not go back on ensuring the creation of a conducive atmosphere for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.
“I want to tell you that the whole Sadc is not going back. They want suitable conditions before the elections. This includes a new constitution and a referendum on that constitution. And, for anyone who is dreaming of elections this year, it remains a dream. Elections can only be held next year according to Sadc,” he said.
Tsvangirai added Sadc was working on mechanisms to bring additional people to work with Jomic to monitor implementation of the Global Political Agreement.
He said attempts by Zanu PF to have the Sadc-appointed facilitator to the Zimbabwe crisis, South Africa President Jacob Zuma removed from his role had hit a brick wall after the regional bloc rallied behind the South African leader and gave him a new impetus to end the stalemate.
On violence, Tsvangirai said: “Yesterday, (President) Mugabe spoke on violence and I said to him his party organs must respect his statements, otherwise his call would be irrelevant.
We told him that if he wants he can stop it. We in the MDC-T are not violent, but victims. We say no more to being victims of violence. Don’t start violence and we are sending the same message to Zanu PF. Stop violence.”
He urged the government to ensure diamonds extracted from Chiadzwa are processed in Manicaland to benefit locals.
Tsvangirai rapped the indigenisation policy saying it was tantamount to “destroying the goose that lay the eggs”.
“We are no longer in a political war but an economic one. That’s the Zimbabwe we look forward to. There is nothing bad with empowering people, but the problem is to grab from people who are working.
I have been to almost all provinces and companies are closing down — even black-owned companies, hence the policy is ill-timed and destroying the goose that’s laying the eggs.
“Important, yes, but empowerment based on Zanu PF patronage, No! Grabbing is not empowerment because you will cut your nose to spite your face. It scares away investors,” he added.
