Tell Reporter

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) leader Morgan Tsvangirai told his supporters in Masvingo today that he was going to support those who will gather courage to go in the streets demanding their rights from the government.

Tsvangirai told thousands of his supporters who gathered in Mucheke stadium to celebrate the party’s 15th anniversary that a lot of Zimbabweans are suffering because they are afraid of demanding their rights.

“The problem is that Zimbabweans are very docile. They have a lot of problems affecting them but they do not have the courage to confront the government. I am not calling for violent demonstrations but I will support all those young men and ladies who are prepared to go in the streets demanding their jobs, I will support those who will demand better salaries, those who demand better living conditions,” said Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai said it was high time that Zimbabweans get organised to pile pressure on President Robert Mugabe.

“The time to pile pressure on Mugabe is now,” he added.

The MDC-T leader said it was unfair for his critics to attack his party for failing to over throw Mugabe.

“Today we are celebrating 15 years meaning that we are just a teenager. We must not aim for positions, our struggle is that of excellence leadership not positions,” added Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai said he was not against the army and traditional leaders. However, he said MDC-T was against few elements that were being used to advance Zanu PF agenda.

“Just yesterday we saw chiefs being driven like cattle to Grace Mugabe’s farm where they were forced to endorse her. We also know that soldiers are beating villagers in Gutu and as a party we are calling for soldiers and chiefs to be professional,” said Tsvangirai.Politics

By Upenyu Silent Chaota

The Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC-T) led by Morgan Tsvangirai will be celebrating 15 years of its formation in Masvingo at Mucheke stadium on Saturday September 13, 2014.

The celebrations will be held under the theme, “Towards national convergence, mobilising people for victory.”

The provincial chairperson for Masvingo, Benard Chiondegwa said that his party is now in its final stages of preparations towards the forthcoming national event.

“Masvingo has been honoured with a gigantic task of hosting the party’s 15^th birthday celebrations. We are now in the final stages of our preparations towards this function and we feel honoured to be the hosts”, he said.

“We have detached teams on the streets to try and remind the people about this historic event. Our youths are putting posters all over the town so that people will be reminded and the message can reach a wide space”, he added.

Chiondegwa said that Masvingo has been ready ever since the day it was informed about this development.

“We have been ready ever since the day we were told about this development. The people are rallying behind us and we hope thousands of people will flock to Masvingo to celebrate the birthday of our party together”, he said.

“The guest speaker will be our president Morgan Tsvangirai and he will be accompanied by all the members of the National assembly”, he added.

In an interview with TellZimbabwe, Chiondegwa admitted that there has been a lot of challenges in the preparations but he hopes that their vision will not be deterred by these stumbling blocks.Politics

“It is true that the process has not been easy, we have been experiencing a lot of challenges but we have managed to work together to come up with successful preparations”, he said.

Chiondegwa also blamed ZANU PF for using state machinery to try and see to it that the event will not be a success.

“ZANU PF has used the military, the chiefs, the headman and the police to try and bar people from attending this great event. They want to make MDC to appear like a failure but our oneness will see us through and have successful celebrations”, he said.

Chiondegwa admitted that the party is in a financial crisis and that they will work hard to try and find funds and also to make sure that the guests feel very much welcome.

He also said that Masvingo province is working together with other provinces and also members of the national assembly to see to it that the celebrations will be historic.

“We are experiencing financial problems but we are sourcing funds to make sure that our celebrations will be remembered by the whole nation”, he added.

MDC-T Masvingo provincial chairperson Benard Chiondegwa

Addressing the issue regarding the split in the party, Chiondegwa said that this will not affect the turn up to the celebrations because the Biti and Mangoma’s so called “Renewal Team” has no support base.

“The split championed by Biti and Mangoma will not affect our celebrations at all because these two have no support base. It is greedy which led them to split up from this party”, he said.

“Our president will take merit of these celebrations to try and assure people that the party of excellence is still as strong as it was in fact it has become much stronger because all those people with evil intends have left”, he added.Politics

If you buy any paper today you are likely to read about factional politics in Zanu PF. You see politicians putting all their energy in tarnishing each other’s images. In fact, President Robert Mugabe once said that he was aware of secret factional meetings being held in dark corners where individuals plot to topple each other from positions of power.

As I see it ladies and gentlemen Zanu PF is at war with own self. Although I cannot exhaust all the fights in the ruling party, it is now common that you have to belong to a faction in order to survive politically. Although people deny leading any factions in the revolutionary party, it’s no longer a secret that we now have two warring political parties within one party. I  remember very well the poorly attended victory celebrations in Mucheke stadium recently where speaker after another castigated those who fuel factionalism in the party. Ironically, it was one faction which attended the so called victory celebrations.

As I see it ladies and gentlemen, it would appear as if my colleagues from the ruling party or should I say parties are aware that they have  to make some kind of roll call in order to find out whether everyone is still in the factional tent. However, they have to perform these rituals under the guise of victory celebrations. It is again at such meetings when those who want promotion in the faction have to memorise some poems of praise so that they would recite such in front of their faction leaders – those who can outdo others in this whole drama are likely to be elevated. As I see it ladies and gentlemen, if we are not careful, the politicians who are supposed to lead us might continue to fight for their selfish interest while our economy continues to bleed. People were hoping that ZANUPF ‘s  most popularised ZIMASSET will  improve their lives but one year down the line, signs of improvement are not anywhere near. What has taken centre stage is backbiting, denouncing each other and calling each other names.

Who shall we blame for our failure?

Zimbabweans are yearning for answers to their problems but unfortunately all they hear from the media is factional politics within Zanu PF. Remember the inclusive government is gone – all we have for our salvation is Zanu PF government. Don’t continue with the sanctions talk because it is almost a tired excuse. It would have been better to blame sanctions while showing your own efforts to improve the lives of Zimbabweans than to blame sanctions and direct all your energy to factional fights. Zimbabwe could have been a better place without these fights.

Is it that Zanu PF as a revolutionary party would want to fight at all cost – to the extent that in the absence of a strong opposition to fight, they would rather fight among themselves?

It’s now a year after the resounding victory against MDC-T and people expected to see a lot of development. Remember it did not take even six months to notice a positive change after the coming in of the  inclusive government.

Those who voted are now confused

When some of us saw brand new vehicles being donated to all people who aspired to be MPs coupled with all the things being dished out to people by Zanu PF during campaign, we thought that a party of the people was geared to lead Zimbabweans to Canaan. However, soon after victory, all the fire went off and people are at each other’s throat. Zimbabweans deserve to be respected gentlemen! Give no chance for people to ever think that inclusive government was far better than what we have today.

As I see it ladies and gentlemen, if you continue to fight like this, even ZIMASSET will not work – in fact if you are not careful the economic blueprint will remain a pipe dream.

Remember your election promises and work towards fulfilling them. We are still  waiting for the promised jobs and our industry needs to be revived. Zimbabwean professionals want their dignity and pride restored.

If this fighting is being done to shift our focus from real problems at hand, then know that the strategy will not last as people yearn for economic solutions from the government of the day.

Let me end here for now lest I be accused of yep yep or speaking too much or yep yepping if you like!!!!

Golden Maunganidze is a journalist and a media trainer. He writes in his own capacity. You can send feedback or comments to goldenmaunganidze37@gmail.com. Politics