Source: MDC Alliance turns focus to 2023 – NewsDay Zimbabwe
OPPOSITION leader Nelson Chamisa’s MDC Alliance has turned its focus on rebuilding the party ahead of the 2023 general elections with a focus on wooing the rural vote.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
This was after High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi on Friday ruled in favour of Thokozani
Khupe’s MDC-T.Early last week, Justice Munangati Manongwa ruled that MDC Alliance was a legal entity, but Justice Chitapi on Friday said he was not bound by that finding and ruled that the party was not a legal entity capable of suing or being sued.
Party officials said they were confused that two different High Court judges came up with two different interpretations about the status of the same entity.
“We now have to build for 2023 or they will have us arguing over the name until 2023 and secure themselves power and keep the people of Zimbabwe in perpetual poverty,” an official said.
Although MDC Alliance legislators — Chalton Hwende, Lillian Timveous, Prosper Mutseyami and Tabitha Khumalo— still have cases pending before the High Court seeking to reverse their recall from Parliament, the party said it had lost faith in the courts.
Party deputy secretary for local Jacob Mafume summed up the mood in Chamisa’s corner.
“The Judiciary is clear where it will go, every technicality, whether we are applicants or respondents, will be used against us. A missing comma or full stopis near fatal to our cases. My president is Nelson Chamisa and my party MDC Alliance. The people must answer,” Mafume said.
Already, the party is itching for byelections in the areas for the recalled legislators to test the ground.
This follows reports that Khupe plans to withdraw more legislators, with Highfield legislator Happymore Chidziva being one of the targets. Chidziva was recently appointed secretary for rural mobilisation by Chamisa in a reshuffle last Friday.
“Those who don’t attend Parliament and continue to boycott will be withdrawn immediately,” said a source close to Mwonzora.
Officially, Mwonzora said he would not be recalling legislators who respected the code of conduct of the MDC-T.
“We don’t exist to recall MPs. It is not our intention to victimise anyone, it is not our intention to recall people just like that. Those people who will be recalled are those people who would have committed offences and the offences are there, well-documented in our constitution,” he said.
“We will be measured in our response, we will not be retributive. We are not a vindictive leadership. We do not exist to victimise Members of Parliament, we exist to deliver the people of Zimbabwe from poverty and misery.”
MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said they would only stop pushing when they lost the people’s confidence.
“We will keep pushing and fighting for justice, a better life for the people ofZimbabwe and against corruption. As long as we have the trust from the people, we will continue because ultimately,it is about the people,” she said.
Chamisa told NewsDay that he preferred to focus on issues that would change lives instead of wasting resources on small things that won’t change the political discourse.
“We want things that change the lives of the people, we should push to get into government and effectively change our people’s lives, that are the ultimate goals,” the MDC Alliance leader said
COMMENTS