via ‘Coward’ Tsvangirai must zip it, NCA – NewZimbabwe 23/05/2015
THE National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) party has hit out at former ally Morgan Tsvangirai, describing the MDC-T leader as a “coward” and “selfish” politician.
Tsvangirai, the NCA charged, is campaigning for President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF party by advising his supporters to spoil ballot papers in the June 10 by-elections.
The former premier triggered the votes by recalling rebel legislators who had joined the splinter MDC Renewal Team.
However, Tsvangirai has refused to contest by-elections to fill the vacant constituencies and has staged rallies urging Zimbabweans to either boycott the votes or spoil ballot papers.
Participating in the by-elections would only legitimise flawed polls, Tsvangirai argues.
But Madock Chivasa, the NCA party spokesperson, told NewZimbabwe.com in an interview that Tsvangirai was effectively campaigning for Zanu PF.
“If people listen to Tsvangirai and do not go and vote it means Zanu PF will win resoundingly and we see this as alliance between MDC-T and Zanu PF,” said Chivasa.
“If they are not participating it’s their democratic right but there are also opposition parties which are participating which, in the past elections, have been openly campaigning for the MDC.”
The NCA spokesman said Tsvangirai should remember that people were murdered and persecuted while campaigning for him.
“There is nothing wrong about keeping quite if you do not wish to partake in an election than to tell people that they should spoil the ballot,” said Chivasa.
“This to us shows selfishness because if you remember us when we were still a civil society movement, one of the accusations Zanu PF always leveled against us was our clear patronage to the MDC-T whenever the country was having elections.
“In 2008 I failed to vote in Bikita after I was arrested by the police and detained for six days and was released after the elections on allegations that I was campaigning for MDC when I had gone there to cast my vote.”
However, Obert Gutu the MDC-T spokesperson defended Tsvangirai saying his leader was expressing anger at Zanu PF’s reluctance to reform electoral laws when he said people should boycott the by-elections.
“Zanu PF has rigged these by-elections even before they have been held,” said Gutu.
“What President Morgan Tsvangirai was saying is that people should never legitimise an electoral farce by Zanu PF by not going to vote in any apparently already rigged election, and by so doing the people will be registering their protest.”
Gutu said his party remained guided by democratic principles adding that “we will never betray” the people of Zimbabwe who have been with “us” for the past fifteen years.
“No political party besides Zanu PF can ever dream of winning the already rigged by-elections. Let Zanu PF celebrate their hollow and meaningless victory.
“The MDC is not at all selfish. After all, we are the largest and most popular political party in Zimbabwe,” he said.
The NCA has participated in the Mount Darwin South, Chirumanzu-Zibagwe and Wedza by-elections where the party got a handful of votes.
Even so, Chivasa said “we are going to grab” all the seats left vacant by the recalled MDC Renewal legislators.
Tsvangirai and the other rival MDC formations are boycotting the by-elections and any future votes demanding that the Zanu PF government implements reforms to help make the contests fairer.
COMMENTS
Gutu you forget to tell Zimbabweans that you are the largest opposition party in Zimbabwe in terms of representation in Parliament. You are lying when you say the MDC-Tsvangirai is the largest party in the country. It is not factual as if Tsvangirai’s property was indeed the largest political party in Zimbabwe surely the owner will be presiding over the country. Furthermore, if electoral reforms were to change the waning fortunes of MDC-Tsvangirai as the likes of Gutu claim, surely it would be unstrategic for the ruling party to destroy itself. Tsvangirai and company lost the plot long back and their barking is meaningless and will not shape the destiny of our lovely Zimbabwe. Mr Gutu you need to take a cue from Tanga we kwa Sando’s song ‘Mahobho’ Basa rakapera chitoendai kuruzevha kundo rima mbambaira.
MDC is the only party in Zimbabwe that has the mandate to govern. However that mandate was denied by Mugabe and the military, that is a fact. In 1980 ZANU PF and other political parties called for UN monitored elections, the government of Ian Smith because of having nothing to hide, they allowed them to be monitored. Mugabe since 1985 has never accepted any monitoring of elections by International organisation except Zimbabwe owned, why? In the past two elections he even denied realising the election results until way beyond time and even have the results announced by deputy insteady of chairperson of ZEC. Why?
NCA you are just sanitizing this fraudulent by-elections. Someone is giving you money like what Mugabe said the last time, ‘when Madhuku is broke he picks some bunch of drunk boys and match the streets of Harare provoking the police,when hit he rushes to the donors with a bandaged body’
Pity NCA. If u could cum to the source. I would bear wit u.
The war is not lost yet bt battle for
1. Constitution
Separating party politics from government ensuring that no political will abuse Government institutions an funds. Now we are in situation where the Civil service are in a comfort zone such that change of government is a non starter. I would not blame MDC apart from their failures as a part but our no 1 Berlin Wall is the civil service. Our Constitution is weak .
It does not direct that Party Constitutions should adhere to the National Constitution but we have changed the Constitution to suit a party constitution as such Zimbabwe is now ZANU pf.
We need to push for a real constitution.
2. Referendum
In 2000 referendum people voted thinking by voting No Zanu pf would get out of power but alas the leopard only woke up an fought fearlessly in the next elections but becoz conscience was still with us the elections were moderate.
3. 2008
Zanu pf lost the elections and Rigging institution was born . Dear NCA it will be very difficult for ZANU pf to loose an election till Amen.
The answer is from those who were fired from ZANU pf who knows how they rig elections.
It s Risk to participate in this elections. MDC has decided to avoid the risk of a rigged election but are mitigating the effects by encouraging spoiling the ballot or non voting. U as NCA u a legitimizing a probably flawed vote by participating fully as if the playing field is level.
U are battling against the team , referee, match Commissioner, football association. Go ahead NCA an leave MDC alone.
Or u a targeting MDC supporters. Tsvangirai is addressing those who support MDC an Zimbabwe cause find yo own who support yo coz.