MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa, has said the biggest challenge facing the party is infiltration, as the infiltrators have entrenched themselves with the party structures and are ‘trying hard’ to destroy the political movement while receiving support from the state.
Chamisa made these remarks at the party’s 22nd anniversary held in Bulawayo Saturday before the event was cut short by police who claimed it was an illegal gathering.
“We know our biggest problem has been infiltration. You see someone given a position by Zanu-PF, see someone going to State House. When you joined the organisation you were not at State House you joined in your branch, why should you go to State House? For what? Why do you want to be paraded like a brahman that is being auctioned?” he questioned.
“Why, cheapening yourself? To lose integrity and dignity for what reason? Just because you have been given money. Life is not about money and trinkets that don’t matter,” he said.
Chamisa said the movement was still fighting for change from Zanu-PF, two decades later and the police’s attempts to stop their event was part of the struggle the opposition had to endure.
“So today as we celebrate 22 years, some are asking us, celebrating as who?’ We are celebrating the journey of this struggle, we are celebrating the idea that we have been out there for 22 years. We have seen it all. A lot has been thrown at us but we are not collapsing. We are standing and tell you what the party has grown bigger than what it was. What was done by (new Zambian president Hakainde) Hichilema we will multiply by 10 here (in the next elections),” said the alliance leader.
The MDC Alliance leader bemoaned how the country’s parliament had lost its legitimacy as it allowed the coming in of unelected officials to replace elected MDC Alliance parliamentarians who were recalled by a rival MDC formation.
“You have seen what has happened to our party, you have seen what has happened in Parliament, it’s now a playground for crooks. Parliament is no longer a legitimate body that has a reflection of the representation of the people because legitimate representatives have been withdrawn and replaced by unelected people,” Chamisa charged.
“It tells you that illegitimacy that was buffeting Mnangagwa’s seat has now migrated into Parliament so we now have illegitimacy in Parliament. Illegitimacy is the biggest problem in this country. We have people who are not elected in Parliament but what is the way forward? The only way forward is what I am now going to give you as we go we have seen Zanu-PF authoritarian consolidation dramatised – recalled, seeing people do this and that.”
Chamisa said MDC Alliance was aiming to garner more than six million votes in the 2023 polls, three million more than it got in the 2018 election.
“We are able to ramp it up…We will damage him (President Emmerson Mnangagwa) where we are going peacefully and electorally because we know the people are very clear. Even if Zanu-PF holds its own election, we can defeat him, they are also seeing that they voted for the wrong person. Zanu-PF is concerned by what we are doing because we are the real game. We are the people’s party,” he said, acknowledging that the party had faced several challenges.
“I know a lot of you have seen the attacks on the party, have seen authoritarian consolidation, human rights violations abuses, all the problems you have been subjected to. Don’t worry those are the tell tale signs of your strength.”
Chamisa added that the party was focused on the polls and urged people not to be sidetracked by their rivals.
“We need to understand this as we go to elections. We are clear about what we will do. Some are asking what we will do about the party name, we are done with that matter. We will come to you to discuss, engage each other but there won’t be confusion. We want everyone to be organised, that’s a done deal, we are fine, let’s go and fix our party, let us do what has to be done,” he said.
“We are organising, mobilising, globally we are mobilising. We know you support us you are moving with us but remain focused remain united. Our God is in it.”
