Branton Matondo
Democratic Union of Zimbabwe (DUZ) president Robert Chapman has said his party is Zimbabwe’s main opposition as the party is making inroads to being the only alternative apart from Zanu PF.
Robert Howard Chapman told journalists in Mutare recently that his party is the main opposition in Zimbabwe also denouncing claims that he is a Zanu PF project meant to divide votes.
“That’s a claim any opposition says to another opposition. They even said it among themselves. At one point Tendai Biti was called a CIO (intelligence operative), so was David Coltart at some point. It’s a claim that is used by the opposition to be a gatekeeper for ZANU-PF.
“To me a person that stands up and says DUZ is Zanu PF typically means they are the main ZANU-PF project, they are the actual gatekeepers of ZANU-PF. You cannot ring fence opposition, that’s no longer democracy,” said Chapman.
DUZ which is carrying out provincial engagements across Zimbabwe said they are ready for elections and Chapman will be their candidate in the upcoming harmonized elections.
Chapman added that the party is open for members who have no political home even if they were former MDC, CCC or ZANU-PF members.
“You can see that our secretary general is a former MDC member, we have people from different parties that have come under our wing. We welcome even people from ZANU-PF
“I would say those that eat at the same table and have taken money from ZANU-PF government are probably closer to ZANU-PF, ” he added.
Zimbabwe has been dominated by two political parties from the early 2000’s, Zanu PF and MDC with the latter switching to MDC T, MDC Alliance and the current yellow wing CCC led by Nelson Chamisa.
“We have had the same political system for quite some time and there was a glimpse of prosperity during the Government of National Unity (GNU). Things slowly changed but unfortunately the same folks who were part of the system are still in power. DUZ was formed after looking at the current landscape of the political system that exists and today we don’t have something that looks different.
“If the system is not working for you, in your ward, in your constituency under the leadership of either the ruling party, opposition or independent maybe you should consider change because unless you do not change you will go down the same road again. DUZ will bring prosperity, justice and modernization in Zimbabwe. You should vote because the next five years are going to be expensive,” Chapman said.
This year’s harmonized election are set for August 23, through a proclamation made by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on May 31, 2023.
