ONE could be forgiven for thinking the official opening of the First Session of the Eighth Parliament yesterday was a Zanu PF celebration of sorts given the huge turnout of the party’s supporters clad in full party regalia – and, of course, the conspicuous absence of the MDC-T party. WONAI MASVINGISE
Hundreds of Zanu PF supporters turned out to witness the colourful event with its characteristic pomp and fanfare.
The usual cavalcade of horses presented glamorous displays as President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace majestically arrived in the traditional black Rolls Royce.
The MDC-T chose to boycott the event on the grounds that doing so would be tantamount to accepting and recognising Mugabe’s July 31 election victory as legitimate.
The party maintains the election was rigged and therefore not legitimate.
Ordinary people who spoke to NewsDay in Harare yesterday, however, expressed different views on the boycott with some saying it was a futile exercise and would not stop Zanu PF from going ahead with the business of running the country.
“Their boycott has no impact because Zanu PF has more than a two-thirds majority and so it is useless really. People voted them (Zanu PF) into Parliament and so their (MDC-T) actions are not in people’s interests. For the past five years they (MDC-T) were in Parliament they forgot about the people. By boycotting the opening ceremony they are acting out of emotion. They are showing their immaturity,” said Tendai Munaku.
Charles Maenzanise (37) said he felt let down by MDC-T because they had chosen to boycott the opening ceremony.
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“The MDC-T let us down because of their immaturity and lack of planning. They lost the election because they did not have any clear strategy. Their style of politics is always reactionary and (they are) always acting out of anger and emotion and that is where Zanu PF beats them. Now they are boycotting Parliament and yet we want them to be there. In whose interests are they acting really?” questioned Maenzanise.
Wilson Tichaona, another Harare man, said MDC-T should boycott the whole Eighth Parliament because they have failed the people of Zimbabwe.
“If they don’t want to participate, then they should just go. What exactly did they do for us in the past five years anyway?” asked Tichaona.
However, Tinotenda Mhindu, an airtime vendor, said the MDC-T was right to boycott the opening ceremony.
“They are not boycotting Parliament, but they are boycotting Mugabe. They will attend Parliament, but they are not attending this event in protest against Mugabe who stole the election,” Mhindu said.
