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NewsDay

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Mwonzora a jockey on a dead horse

Letters
Mwonzora’s plea to reach out to all his opposition counterparts is a sign of desperation.

THE call made by fading MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora for a strong national dialogue, including MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa and Zanu PF leader, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is another well-crafted trick to avoid a general election.

Mwonzora’s plea to reach out to all his opposition counterparts is a sign of desperation.

In what capacity is he calling for national dialogue to present a united front to engage Mnangagwa?

Mwonzora failed to reach out to Chamisa when he was still in MDC Alliance and thought that he was going to be more powerful than him.

His politics of rational disputation has hit rock bottom and he has failed dismally to attract stakeholders.

Mwonzora has realised that his political career cannot last without the people.

Since the March 2020 Supreme Court judgment which was passed by a captured Judiciary, Mwonzora has been bragging that he is wiser than Chamisa and that he is very good at outsmarting opponents.

Chamisa’s rural face-to-face meetings have rattled Mwonzora. The response Chamisa is getting from the rural folks is astounding and has left Mwonzora in panic mode.

This is a clear indication that politics is not about recalling candidates, grabbing properties and buildings, but it’s about mass mobilisation.

Those who are betting on Mwonzora that he will draw a very huge crowd which can fill Gwanzura Stadium in Highfield should think again.

From a broader political perspective, Mwonzora is actually a media creation who does not attract or draw any crowd. I equate him to a reserve side when it comes to football.

It’s unfortunate that today, the MDC-T is calling for dialogue with Chamisa, who it said was a partyless leader.

Interestingly, Mwonzora is now acknowledging the MDC Alliance as a bona fide political party, but his party instigated the recall of MDC Alliance Members of Parliament and councillors thinking that it was crippling the people’s struggle.

The MDC-T said the only platform for dialogue was the Political Actors Dialogue, so where is this hullabaloo for a national dialogue coming from?

Similar sentiments are being echoed by Morgen Komichi, who is also asking for unity of the opposition political parties to dislodge Zanu PF.

Komichi has come to his senses and has realised that rooting for Mwonzora is like betting for a dead horse.

Let there be elections in 2023 and the duo shall be humbled.

Mwonzora is clutching at straws. He thought that by recalling parliamentarians and councillors, he would sway the electorate to his side. –Leonard Koni

Masvingo mayor secretly funds First Lady’s project

IT is disheartening to note that Masvingo mayor Collen Maboke  secretly authorised the funding of a project run by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa at Chambuta orphanage in Chiredzi.

At a time when the local authority is battling to provide apt services, Maboke has chosen to betray the people who gave him the current mandate by funding Mnangagwa’s project.

I have it on good authority that the city council channelled $1 million towards First Lady Auxillia project at Chambuta orphanage.

The city council is struggling to pay employees on time, yet Maboke has elected to please the First Lady.

Residents and ratepayers should be consulted before such a decision is made.

Maboke has betrayed the residents of the ancient City of Masvingo. –Disgruntled council worker

Gas key for stable power supply in Africa

GAS remains critical for African economies despite the global push to end investments in fossil fuels as the world transitions to cleaner fuels.

African Development Bank (AfDB) president Akinwumi Adesina, a Nigerian economist, says Africa, where around 600 million people are without access to electricity, is still trying to build just energy systems.

The bank is one of the backers of Total’s US$20 billion Mozambique liquefied natural gas project.

Despite increased investments and access to electricity, particularly from renewables, there were limits with the currently available technologies because Africa needed steady power supply to grids and stable baseload for industries.

Therefore, gas is fundamental to Africa’s economic survival. I see gas as an important part of Africa’s energy mix.

Several African countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Mozambique are dependent on oil and gas, and are counting on recent discoveries not only to boost revenues, but also to provide steady gas-fired generation.

Even if Africa triples its use of gas to generate electricity, it will only contribute to only 0,67% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Without gas, Africa’s economies will be killed.

The bank has since made a decision to no longer fund coal projects.

A week ago, the AfDB board approved its new policy that no more coal.

However, it will still support Africa to have a stable energy system, and gas is critical to that.

Gas will prevent deforestation as a bulk of the population on the continent still depend on wood fuel and charcoal. –Further Afrika