The demonstration, which Morgan Richard Tsvangirai said was the last provincial protest before the National demo against the continuing social, economic and political problems in Zimbabwe, drew thousands of MDC-T supporters from various districts of Midlands Province.
Although the programme was scheduled to start at 10 am it began two hours later, from an open space on the northern outskirts of the central business near AMTEC. Despite the presence of heavily armed police officers, the peaceful demonstration proceeded along Robert Mugabe Way to the Gweru civic centre.
The party was fronted by MDC-T’s national leadership among them were vice president Thokozani Khupe and newly appointed vice presidents Elias Mudzuri and Nelson Chamisa.
Former South Africa President Nelson Mandela’s famous saying that “It always seems impossible until it is done†was evidenced when the ZimFirst leadership swallowed their pride and joined what MDC-T’s Provincial spokes person, Munyaradzi Mutandavari described as a very noble cause.
It was near pandemonium when Tsvangirai, his wife, Mujuru and former Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa joined the protesters as the supporters jostled to catch a glimpse of the opposition leaders.
In a solidarity message Mujuru told the active multitude that as Zim People First they saw it fit to walk the talk of unity of purpose with fellow democratic forces.
“We have two District, Provincial and Nation leadership from the People first and from MDC-T. Today marks the historic day for us. It is a day when the MDC and People First are coming together in fighting for peace, unity and love. We want the people of Zimbabwe to work as one and not to be divided. Today we found a way of working together to deal with the issues affecting us. Everyone is being affected by these issues including soldiers the police. We want to weed out all the corruption and nonsensical things that are happening in our midst.
In his speech, Tsvangirai described as a historic defining moment the fact that Mujuru and her party officials had joined in the march.
“I would want to thank Dr Mujuru for joining the protest. This worth cause needs collective consensus of all people. We welcome all democratic forces that are fighting President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF’s misrule from power because they are the ones who are causing the suffering that we are all experiencing in this country,” Tsvangirai said.
The MDC T it is a lie that his party was a reactionary party that seeks to reverse the gains of the liveration struggle as what he said, Zanu PF purports. Since its establishment MDC is governed by the rule of law. We are peace-loving and will continue to seek to get into power through constitutional means.
“When we formed the MDC-T we said we wanted to continue pursuing the ideals of the liberation struggle which Zanu PF had lost along the way. We were never a reactionary party contrary to what Zanu PF wants people to believe, “he said adding that Zanu PF had long lost the ideals of the liberation war long back.
The opposition leader warned Mugabe to relinquish power before people’s anger intensifies.
“We will continue with the protests. The party is mobilising for one major protest that will make the president to accept that people have had enough of his misrule,†he said.
Both Tsvangirai and Mujuru repeated the need for working together to remove Mugabe and his Zanu PF government from power.
After the speeches, the associates of both the MDC-T and ZimPF leaders made its way to Mkoba Stadium for the ZPF rally.
Post published in: Featured