Source: MDC plots ED Parly snub – NewsDay Zimbabwe October 1, 2019
THE Nelson Chamisa-led MDC is allegedly plotting to embarrass President Emmerson Mnangagwa (pictured) when he address the august House today during the official opening of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament.
By Everson Mushava
Mnangagwa is also expected to deliver his State of the Nation Address (Sona) in Parliament today.
Leader of the House for the MDC Thabitha Khumalo said the party was still guided by the national council decision not to recognise Mnangagwa’s election victory in last year’s poll.“As a party, we are guided by a resolution of the national council that we don’t recognise Emmerson Mnangagwa. He is illegitimate and that resolution still stands until we go to congress in 2023, unless otherwise the national council decided to change that resolution. But for now, we are guided by that resolution,” Khumalo said.
“Our strategy is going to be the same, we don’t recognise him and we are not going to stand up for him and them. We wait for the repercussion for having done that.”
Prosper Mutseyami, the Dangamvura-Chikanga legislator, who is the opposition party’s chief whip, yesterday refused to disclose the party’s plan of action, but hinted that MPs were rolling up their sleeves.
“For now, there is nothing I can tell you, why don’t you write your story after tomorrow (today)?” Mutseyami said.
The opposition lawmakers in September last year walked out on Mnangagwa’s Sona address to Parliament as a way of expressing its bitterness to the ruling party government for “stealing” the July 30 2018 presidential election.
The MDC MPs called him an illegitimate leader and then walked out of Parliament when he was giving his Sona as a way of expressing their displeasure.
Chamisa claims he won last year’s presidential election and refused to accept Mnangagwa’s leadership even after the courts declared the Zanu PF leader the winner in the controversial polls.
Some MDC MPs also hinted that they were plotting another embarrassing episode for the embattled Zanu PF leader who has not recovered from addressing an empty auditorium at the United National General Assembly last week and being tongue-lashed by the international body over his government’s human rights abuses.
“We have maintained that Mnangagwa is an illegitimate leader. Sitting in Parliament to listen to him will be an act of legitimising his rule. We are planning to walk out on him or boycott the official opening,” one MP who refused to be identified told NewsDay.
But on Sunday, Information ministry secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana warned the opposition MPs of dire consequences should they do a repeat of last year and walk out of Parliament while Mnangwga was addressing.
“Sona is pencilled for this week, how the opposition MPs will conduct themselves will determine the political climate in Zimbabwe. Time and time again President @edmnangagwa has reached across the political divide in an effort to reduce political tensions so we move the country forward,” Mangwana tweeted.
But some MDC MPs said they would not be intimidated to sit in Parliament while Mnangagwa gives his address.
Another MDC MP said: “We know Mnangagwa is a cruel leader who has been abducting people and deploying police to disrupt MDC events.
But we can never be intimidated. That will not stop us from registering our sentiments that Mnangagwa is the leader of Zanu PF, not the country because he stole the last elections.”
COMMENTS
its time Chamisa grows up and stops acting like a delinquent teenager. He would be better advised to use this presidential term to improve his managerial skills. Based upon my observations of the pathetic performance of both the MDC counsellor and MDC MP for my area Chamisa does not appear to be managing the performance of his subordinates. They act like teenage social media posers, their sole objective is their social media profiles not actual effective problem solvong.
what the country needs are strong managerial skills. Chamisa has failed to prove his capacity in this regard.
If he cared at all about the people of Zimbabwe he would stip being so didruptive and embark on a prezidential competition of sorts to see who can being in the most investment, create the most jobs, implement the most projects.
This would prove his competency as a Presendial candidate.
The only thing this campaign of undermining the Government, distuoting patliament and furtyer sinking the ship proves is that he has no respect for law and order and his motives for wanting to be president is based upon personal power – not the welfare of the people.
Mr Chamisa we’re enough of your childishness. if you want to be President so badly – start acting like one and remember what goes around comes around!