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MDC attacks Zanu PF, MDC-T

Politics
MDC has accused Copac co-chairperson Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana (Zanu PF) of insulting its leadership after he dismissed the party’s decision to pull out of the parliamentary committee’s draft constitution publicity campaign as insignificant

MDC has accused Copac co-chairperson Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana (Zanu PF) of insulting its leadership after he dismissed the party’s decision to pull out of the parliamentary committee’s draft constitution publicity campaign as insignificant Senior Reporter

The Welshman Ncube-led party announced early this week that it was no longer taking part in the campaign to drum up support for the draft constitution ahead of the referendum on the charter on March 16.

MDC was unhappy that it was allocated two provinces out of 10 in the country to conduct the meetings.

It accused its rivals Zanu PF and MDC-T of trying to use the meetings to campaign ahead of the elections, while denying the MDC space to do the same.

MDC spokesperson Nhlanhla Dube on Wednesday said the party was irritated by Mangwana “supported by his sidekick Douglas Mwonzora of the MDC -T”.

“In the past we have either turned a blind eye or the other cheek when this unholy alliance disrespected, maligned and abused the MDC and its leadership,” he said in a statement.

“From now on we state most categorically there will be no other cheek to give.

“We will act in self-defence in every instance. If and when we are punched, we will punch back, if and when we are hit, we will hit back. If and when we are disrespected, we will disrespect in equal measure.

“Let those who have taken our professional approach, our fidelity to integrity, our commitment to respectful politics for weakness or cowardice be forewarned.”

Dube said in the past three days, Mangwana “has abused, insulted and defamed the MDC and its leadership over our withdrawal from the partisan Copac publicity outreach campaign which has been going on in all the 10 administrative provinces of the country”.

“Mangwana is also aware that as a party we offered to deploy our MPs to the other eight provinces where we were not represented and this was flatly refused,” he said. “It is this refusal which is in itself disrespectful and contemptuous of the MDC that resulted in us resolving to pull out of the publicity outreach campaign.”

MDC said it would carry out its own campaigns in support of the constitution.

Mangwana and Mwonzora could not be reached for comment yesterday.