via Mixed feelings over planned demos September 24, 2014
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s calls for demonstrations to press the Zanu PF government to act on improving people’s lives and fulfilling its election promises have been met with mixed feelings with a section of residents and the MDC Renewal saying such action should not be led by politicians.
Tsvangirai has vowed to participate in the demonstrations leading from the front.
His statement received support from some residents under the Combined Harare Residents’ Association and workers who said they would want to join the action to force the government to act.
However, the Harare Residents’ Trust (HRT) yesterday said it felt politicians should not lead the demonstrations, but instead, the workers and the residents should.
“Street protests, inspired by politicians, are meaningless to residents. What needs to be understood first are the issues currently affecting the residents and the possible solutions, defined by residents themselves. Power to the people first,” HRT said yesterday.
MDC Renewal spokesperson Jacob Mafume said demonstrations should come from the people.
“Demos are organic; they should come from the people. They are not a self-sacrifice issue by politicians. All demos the world over have been started by the people, not politicians,” he said.
Tsvangirai and his MDC-T have been calling for mass demonstrations across the country to force the Zanu PF government to address the economic problems facing the country. Zimbabwe is currently faced with serious economic challenges that the opposition party said were caused by Zanu PF ineptitude after winning the July 2013 harmonised elections.
The MDC-T youth assembly has tried two demos so far, but both of them were crushed by the police.
COMMENTS
This is just a very strange situation we certainly want change in this country are demos really the answer if not how do we change this country. I believe we as Zimbabweans need to take some sort of action can we really carry on like this. Our children our children’s children what kind of Zimbabwe will they grow up in
Mafume and your group are just political hangers on. You have nothing to offer Zimbabweans. You are just a group of flip flopers. You and your biti group were the cause of us accusing the MDC-T as flip flopping. Your group and welshman ncube’s group are responsible for diluting the spirit of an uprising against mugabe and zpf.
All what you are suggesting above is nonsense
Cowards cowards cowards. Where are the martyrs ????? Obviously zimbos have either not yet suffered enough humiliation ? or they on the zanupf criminal gravy train !!!!! Pamberi y.o.z.a. mob justice
Who cares who leads demonstrations. Do them soon though, while Mugabe is preening himself in New York.
The people need leadership, if Tsvangirai is ready to be in the front, let him be. Mafume and team are zanupf apologists who thought Gono would become president and form a GNU of some sort.
Jacob mafume and renewals wants to politicise everything . This is about Zimbabwe . Let’s support what mdct brought on the table.its good for the country . one thing I have realised about this renewals they are fighting Morgan instead of the dictator and I promise you Zimbabwe is watching
The renewal team are part of Zanu now thus the lacklustre performance by them. SHAME!
Renewal team is bunch of idiots with no direction! They have seen that if the demos are a successful MDC T will get the credit and they would rather stay under ZPF tyranny. Self centred fools who come singing a wedding song to a funeral.
All this bickering has killed the idea before it is even began. Well done Zimbos! Africa’s most educated populace. lol
Did you really have to wait for Tsvangirai first to say it before you could say only civic society can lead it. it shows some form of opportunism on the part of civic society in Zimbabwe. Obviously the connection is made when you see the amount of donor money that goes into these so called civic organisations.
Just like Jacob Mafume Harare residents association is really divorced from the people. How is it that they have never protested the high rates that residents are being subjected to. Obviously Jacob Mafume can only see this in terms of how many women’s underwear he can pull down in this confusion. The so called civic society are thinking of how many hatfuls of money they can make out this crisis.
But please at least be honest about what is motivating you. It is better than taking pot shots at Tsvangirai who at least has demonstrated beyond reasonable that he cares for the people. If Tsvangirai calls for demonstrations I am definitely joining. I am not too sure I would if the call came from Jacob Mafume..