rty, including Director of Elections, Paul Themba Nyathi, Secretary for Information and Publicity, Gabriel Chaibva, National Organising Secretary, Esaph Mdlongwa, Secretary for Lands and Agriculture, and Renson Gasela, Deputy Secretary for Local Government and MP for Gweru Urban.
“Addressing the excited and responsive crowd that punctuated the address with intermittent bursts of applause, singing and dancing, Sibanda stated that in spite of Zanu (PF)’s known record of intimidation and harassment of members of the opposition and the subversion of peoples rights in elections, the MDC was ready to face it head-on in the March 2008 elections. He encouraged the people to go and register as voters so that their will could find expression when they cast their vote in the plebiscite,” said a party statement.
Responding to questions as to the status of the dialogue with the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai, Sibanda chronicled the events that led to the split of the MDC and efforts made by his party to bring the two formations together to face Zanu (PF) in the 2008 elections.
He lamented the fact that Tsvangirai had snubbed the efforts by demanding an uneven and unworkable arrangement that would have resulted in the Mutambara-led party being “simply obliterated”, and said they would not accede to such an arrangement.
Chaibva castigated those who did not want to work together in the democratic struggle as enemies of the struggling people of Zimbabwe who should be stopped from getting to the corridors of power as they did not have the concerns of the people at heart.
Nyathi told the gathering that they should not allow chiefs and headmen to abuse and frustrate them through Zanu (PF)-instigated food denials and politically motivated harassment. He urged the people to remain resilient and support the MDC to ensure meaningful change. To that end, he reiterated the call on the people to go and register to vote as this was the only assured way of defeating Zanu (PF) and removing hunger. – Staff reporter
Post published in: News