MOSES Mzila-Ndlovu, co-minister in the Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration (ONHRI), yesterday admitted that his ministry and the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic) have failed to stop violence which has swept across the country ahead of the harmonised elections expected to be held later this year.
Report by Silas Nkala
Mzila-Ndlovu, who is also deputy secretary-general of the Welshman Ncube-led MDC, said his ministry had failed to contain the tide because it had no direct control over State security agents.
“It is true violence is escalating because the institutions and structures which were used in violence since independence in 1980 are still there,” he said.
“They are being paid from the State coffers, but pursue political agendas in support of a political party. We are still failing as an organ to stop this violence. We are not given the full mandate to curb violence.”
The two MDCs have blamed State security agents for fanning violence because of their alleged links to Zanu PF. The two parties are pushing for security sector reforms as one of the key benchmarks before going to elections.
“ONHRI is an organ that has failed its expected duty and the same applies to Jomic,” said.
Mzila-Ndlovu. “The two are the ugliest failures to conduct their duties. So much money has been channelled towards the organs’ programmes, payment of staff and cars were bought for Jomic yet violence happens in front of the officials who are not able to do anything to stop it.”
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He said Jomic and his ministry were “deceptive in that they make people believe something is being done to stop violence yet they cannot do what they are expected to do”.
“They (MDC-T) have been agreeing with Zanu PF on numerous issues and later cry foul that they are being unfairly treated and attacked. The environment to hold the elections must be conducive, but we have failed to create that as an organ.”
But MDC-T’s deputy national organising secretary Abednicho Bhebhe yesterday rubbished Ndlovu’s remarks saying all parties were to blame for the violence.
“People want the MDC-T to be in power, but institutions such as army and police which are still loyal to Zanu PF are blocking that as they have not been dismantled,” said Bhebhe.
“Until that has been changed, that power you are talking about is just on paper. We have been very clear about security sector re-alignment and because it’s still aligned to that political party, that cannot be blamed on MDC-T alone as even his (Mzila-Ndlovu) party is involved in governance.”
