BY RICHARD MUPONDE/MOSES MATENGA/BLESSED MHLANGA
OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has dared President Emmerson Mnangagwa to address the economic challenges affecting the country without him, saying he was the one entrusted by the people of Zimbabwe with their future.
His comments, through spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda, came as government accused the opposition leader of revelling in the suffering of Zimbabweans with the hope of frustrating the people into voting him into power.
The opposition said it was shocking that government remained obsessed with Chamisa and dared Mnangagwa to go it alone in addressing the economic crisis in the country.
“They can’t move and it’s been two years now. If you are seeking relevance it means you are irrelevant. They don’t need us so let them go it alone and if they can go it alone, if they can sort this economy out alone, let them do it,” Sibanda said
“The president (Chamisa) has the credibility, the trust and mandate to be able to put the economy together and that is what we have been saying that there is a legitimacy crisis. If these people think they are legitimate enough to bring this economy out of the doldrums, let them do it. What are they waiting for?”
MDC deputy president Tendai Biti said only Chamisa, not Mnangagwa, had the keys to the economy and the Zanu PF leader should dialogue with him.
But Information deputy minister Energy Mutodi said Chamisa and his party were praying that the people continue to suffer for them to remain relevant.
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“The MDC has called for sanctions in order to cause suffering which they hope will stifle the people to vote them into power. So they are using sanctions as a whip against the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
“They stage-managed abductions including a deliberate disregard of the law in order to provoke the police into action. All they are looking for is media attention so that the international community can view Zimbabwe as an autocratic State with no rule of law.”
Mutodi reiterated that if ever there was going to be dialogue between Mnangagwa and Chamisa, it would be under the auspices of the Political Actors’ Dialogue (Polad) that the Zanu PF leader set up and involve fringe opposition political parties.
Meanwhile, Chamisa has hit back at the leaders of the Indigenous Interdenominational Council of Churches (IICC), accusing them of being captured by the government.
IICC led by Andrew Wutaunashe, backed Mnangagwa and urged him not to enter into any talks with Chamisa. Wutawunashe also said the MDC leader should publicly acknowledge Mnangagwa as President.
Chamisa said he would not be stampeded by Zanu PF card-carrying members who were hiding under the banner of religion to endorse an illegitimate government.
“Have you ever watched mickey mouse? Those are games. If somebody is truly religious and this is what the churches have done, all over the globe, the churches are always engaged in the politics of the country because they care about the citizens of that country and they are citizens too, “ he said.
“But there is one thing that churches don’t do. The churches don’t become political. They don’t take sides, they go and meet with Mr Mnangagwa and decide somehow we now believe his side of the story. They are decreeing that we must do something without even talking to us.”
