Speaking at a peace rally here at the weekend, Madzore said Zanu (PF)'s threats to abandon the power-sharing deal with the MDCs in favour of an early election would not succeed.
“We cannot have an election when innocent people are being tear-gassed by the police in their homes,” Madzore told a jubilant crowd at Huruyadzo shopping centre in St Mary's constituency.
Madzore is Member of Parliament for the besieged Glen View constituency, where beatings, harassment and mass arrests of MDC-T supporters by police, army and Central Intelligence Organisation agents of Robert Mugabe's Zanu (PF) have been routine for the past several weeks.
The police claim they are taking revenge against the MDC-T following the murder of a cop in a beerhall brawl in Glen View in June. The MDC-T has distanced itself from the murder and says claims that its members were involved are a vain attempt to punish its members and discredit the party. Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena pinned the crime on Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party – even before any evidence was produced in court.
Madzore, sporting his trademark military-type jacket and belting out inspirational songs, set out other conditions for his party's participation in the forthcoming polls.
“We will only have an election when Prime Minister Tsvangirai can go on ZBC freely tell voters what the MDC can do for them. If Mugabe has something to offer, let him also say it but the two must be given equal access to the state broadcaster,” he said.
“The inclusive government is a marriage by mutual consent. It is therefore not possible for one party to dissolve the marriage without the agreement of the other as Zanu (PF) is attempting to do,” he said.
Madzore, however, predicted that Mugabe (87) would be thrashed in a fair contest. He added that age was not on Mugabe's side and the ageing dictator would be hammered by a youthful Tsvangirai.
Post published in: News