THE opposition MDC-T has joined hands with civic groups and churches in a fresh campaign to boycott all businesses owned or run by Zanu PF “fat cats” in order to cripple and financially force them to the negotiating table, NewsDay has learned.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
This was disclosed by MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora during a party meeting in Mutare on Saturday.
Mwonzora said their first targets were President Robert Mugabe’s Alpha and Omega company dairy products, Vice-Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zuva Petroleum and Phelekezela Mphoko’s Choppies Supermarkets.
However, a top Zuva Petroleum official and a government bureaucratic yesterday said Mnangagwa had no interests in the petroleum firm.
But Mwonzora said: “We are planning something. This is no longer a secret now because this is a bare knuckle fight.
We want to embark on a massive consumer boycott, boycotting products, shops, businesses of people who are corruptly benefiting from the Zanu PF regime and those people who are involved in human rights abuses.’’
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Mwonzora added: “For example, we are going to agree that we are not going to buy anything from Mphoko’s Choppies, Mnangagwa’s businesses and we will not buy Alpha and Omega products, which is owned by the First Family.”
He said that the move will force ruling party “fat cats” to agree to re-engage opposition political parties to resolve the on-going economic crisis.
“We have since approached civic organisations, other opposition political parties and members of the public, including churches, among other organisations. If we boycott their shops and businesses in one week, they will come to us because we the poor have power,’’ Mwonzora said.
He also disclosed that opposition parties had endorsed #Tajamuka/Sesijikile shutdown this Wednesday and would sue police for contempt of court following the stifling of the Friday’s protest march.
Yesterday, all 18 opposition parties under the National Electoral Reforms Agenda (Nera) announced plans to roll out mass anti-government demonstrations to other provinces on Friday.
“We also further advise that apart from the protest march in Harare, Nera structures in various provinces, cities and towns will be informing the place of similar marches in their areas on the same day,” Nera convenor Didymus Mutasa said in a statement yesterday.
“Zimbabweans are under no illusion that we are where we are because of the crisis of legitimacy. On Friday, the whole nation wishes to speak with one voice by peacefully demanding that the next elections be truly free, fair and credible.”
