MASVINGO - Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters At a recent consultative meeting here, party members told Tsvangirai to quit because President Robert Mugabe was acting in bad faith.
“The problem is that in the coalition government, you are strange bed-fellows. Zanu (PF) is pulling in a different direction backwards – while you are forward looking,” said the headmaster of a local school in Masvingo.
“That man (Mugabe) is evil; he is a cheat, a hypocrite and is not genuine. I wonder why Tsvangirai would treat him with kid gloves, he should pull out,” said another party supporter.
Others concurred, saying Mugabe had repeatedly proved that he was negotiating in bad faith.
Tsvangirai, who is on a drought assessment tour of Chivi and Chiredzi, stopped briefly in Masvingo to address thousands of desperate supporters who gathered at the civic centre on hearing that he was going to pass through.
Villagers in Chivi had on Friday night received threats from soldiers and Zanu (PF) youths who said they risked unspecified action if they went ahead and attended Tsvangira’s meeting.
The Prime Minister called for an end to violence by both his supporters and Zanu (PF)’s, saying he and Mugabe were in a good relationship and were “eating together every Monday”.
Tsvangirai told his followers that he was caught between a rock and a hard place.
“We have to soldier on under such a bad combination,” he told the supporters. “That is the only option we have. We are not going back, and we know we will get there. You should also remember how we got into government – Mugabe did not like it, but was under pressure.”
Mugabe recently stripped some MDC Ministers of powers in a move that has also angered party supporters.
Post published in: News