As the MDC-T celebrates its 12th anniversary this weekend, the party said it was keen to end its “marriage” with Zanu PF in the inclusive government describing the arrangement as untenable.
The party’s national organising secretary Nelson Chamisa said the party has suffered enough at the hands of Zanu PF as many of its members were murdered and others displaced in the fight for democracy.
This year’s celebrations will be held in Harare under the theme “12 Years of People’s Struggles in Pursuit of Real Change. Let’s Finish it”.
“People have died, people continue to be arrested, victimised and there is the non-fulfilment of the GPA. This half-donkey-half-horse arrangement we have in the inclusive government with the donkey-half of Zanu PF retarding the pace of reform, economic transformation and democratisation is untenable,” Chamisa said.
“We are not yet there, but we can feel it. It’s not far, we are almost there, but the last minute is dangerous. We are conscious of the challenges before us as we overcome the last hurdle. Twelve years of theft and robbery constitutes enough a time for misfortunes. We have come of age and we now know the tricks and fortunately we now know the thief.”
Chamisa said the party’s worst moment in the last 12 years was the 2005 split. He also cited the “denied election victories” since 2000 as some of the sad episodes in the MDC-T history.
In apparent reference to Youth Development minister Saviour Kasukuwere, Chamisa said: “Because of the MDC, companies were opening, but we have a policy paralysis as a result of reckless pronouncements by certain voices in the government. Investment hates noise. We have many noisemakers and we have many characters making too much noise to the detriment of common good.”
On MDC-T succession plan, Chamisa said : “All issues are debated in the party, but it’s not an issue now because we have a solid leadership under the superintendence of (Premier Morgan) Tsvangirai. We have a very solid leader who is a face of hope, face of opportunity and face of new beginning. If you want to win a contest, why would you want to dismantle a formidable force?”
