Mugabe has taken Zim back to 1958, Biti

via Mugabe has taken Zim back to 1958, Biti – New Zimbabwe 25 June 2014 by Staff Reporter

LEADERS of the MDC Renewal Team have accused President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF of pocketing the spoils as the country is buffeted by serious economic problems, adding it was unacceptable that Zimbabweans still struggle for basics, 34 years after independence.

Led by Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma, among others, the Renewal Team is in the process of forming a new opposition party after breaking away from the MDC-T following a bitter dispute over the leadership of Morgan Tsvangirai who has refused to step down.

Biti and Mangoma addressed supporters in Chinhoyi last weekend with the former finance minister accusing Mugabe and his administration of letting the developmental gains of the last half century go to waste.

“Our lives have gone to the era of 1958.  We have no electricity, we have no water.  We have got a national crisis and we cannot stand by and watch.

“That is why there is the renewal call. If there is good governance in any country then everything else flows. We cannot let past mistakes of Zimbabwe to revisit us.

Mangoma said the country was not benefiting from its reported diamond riches in the eastern Manicaland province due to corruption in the Zanu PF-led government.

“We do not even know where the proceeds from our natural resources such as diamonds and platinum are going because of corruption in Zanu PF,” he said.

“As the MDC Renewal Team, we are going to change this because we want Zimbabwe to prosper.  We want every Zimbabwean to enjoy the fruits of this country.”

Meanwhile the group’s spokesperson, Jacob Mafume has revealed that they would hold their congress in March next year, hinting at a number of possible changes which include adopting orange as the party’s official colour.

“We will have our congress in March when we will look at rebranding the party and until that congress is held the status quo would be maintained,” Mafume said Wednesday.

“We are renewing and we are looking at all aspects. There are certain things that will have to be discarded, while others would be maintained.”

Explaining the choice of orange, Mafume added: “The significance of the colour orange is that of a rising sun. It gives an image of a new birth. It is a colour that has been used by a lot of pro-democracy movements.

“Other issues that are coming out in our consultation (include) the desire to be a pan-African party, the issue of ideological rethinking in terms of how we redefine our social democratic movement and how we engage.”

Back to Home page