MDC-T leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has lined up international rallies to woo the estimated three million Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to come back home and vote in the forthcoming general elections, which President Robert Mugabe wants held in March next year.
Report by Moses Matenga
Although the draft constitution does not allow the Diaspora vote, the MDC-T would sell its manifesto with the hope that most of the economic refugees could still come back in droves ahead of the polls to cast their ballots.
Tsvangirai will address the first of a series of rallies to canvass his party’s support in Johannesburg, South Africa, tomorrow before travelling to New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Botswana, the United States and Britain, among other countries.
MDC-T organising secretary Nelson Chamisa said Tsvangirai was also expected to update Zimbabweans living in the Diaspora on the current political situation in the country, the constitution-making process, the Diaspora vote and the need for Diasporans to help in rebuilding Zimbabwe.
MDC-T South Africa Province in a statement yesterday said: “The MDC SA Province is honoured to host the president of the party and Prime Minister of Zimbabwe in Johannesburg on Saturday November 10, 2012. The Right Honourable Morgan Tsvangirai will address a rally in Johannesburg.”
Chamisa said the message to the Diasporans was to remind them of the importance of “catapulting” the country back to its breadbasket status.
“Our message to them is that it’s time to rebuild Zimbabwe and we need our gifted and talented voters in the Diaspora to lay the bricks to restore our integrity,” Chamisa, who is also Information Communication Technology minister, said.
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“After South Africa, we will go to the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Botswana and other countries where we have Zimbabweans.
“We want to connect to the sons and daughters (of Zimbabwe). It’s time to rebuild Zimbabwe and we need all the skill, talent and ability for the transformation effort in our country.”
Finance minister and MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti, national chairperson Lovemore Moyo, women assembly secretary-general Sibusisiwe Bhuda-Masara, youth deputy chairperson Costa Machingauta and Chamisa will be part of Tsvangirai’s delegation during the Diaspora campaign rallies.
Mugabe and his Zanu PF party insist elections should be held next March, but other parties argue that the dates for the polls would depend on the implementation of Global Political Agreement-stipulated reforms.
