By Albert Nxumalo
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has claimed that rival Zanu PF is working flat out to “obliterate” his formation from the political landscape as it fears a strong opposition.
He alleged that Zanu PF was in league with MDC-T to achieve its aim.
In his first public communication this year through a letter to Zimbabweans titled ‘The Fog will soon clear’ on Thursday, Chamisa said his formation is deliberately being targeted at but has remained “calm and resolute, not because we are unable to respond, but because we know the game they are playing”.
Without mentioning names but seemingly referring to MDC-T, he claimed it is a Zanu PF project but a ‘fog that will soon clear”.
“ZANU PF has never been comfortable with strong opposition. They aim to build an opposition that they control. This is the sole purpose of the project that they have moulded with our erstwhile colleagues,” he wrote.
Douglas Mwonzora was recently elected as substantive MDC-T president in a largely chaotic extra ordinary congress.
Chamisa compared the current political situation to the Ian Smith era.
“During the last days of colonialism, the Smith regime tried to hoodwink people by promoting people like Bishop Abel Muzorewa, ahead of the true nationalists who were fighting repression.
Smith preferred the likes of Muzorewa because they were lackeys who would do his bidding while Muzorewa and others were eager to join the gravy train to serve their interests.
However, the people of Zimbabwe saw through this elaborate ruse and rejected it.”
“Zimbabweans can tell who is genuine and who is not, by the way, the ZANU PF regime treats them,” he added.
Positioning his party as peaceful, Chamisa said they have stayed clear of violence which they are allegedly tempted into as “Zimbabweans are solidly behind us”.
“These were deliberate acts of provocation, designed to lure us into conduct that would justify violent repression during the pandemic.
“We have remained calm and resolute, not because we are unable to respond, but because we know the game they are playing. We also remain true to our founding principle: we are committed to achieving change through peaceful and non-violent means”.
Only “through the ballot box” will Zimbabweans “punish this abusive behaviour”, he said.
The next harmonised elections are due in 2023.
Taking a dig at MDC-T he branded it as fake opposition and “enablers” of Zanu PF who “will present themselves as the opposition’s opposition”.
He said MDC-T relies “on the abuse of state institutions to steal from us – your MPs, councillors, money, and party property – and in doing so, they have undermined trust in politics”.
However, “the repressive state and its surrogates can neither command nor steal your loyalty and support. They cannot force you to support what you disagree with. They cannot command you to divert your loyalties
“Do not be perturbed by the fog they have created because it will soon clear,” said the embattled opposition leader, who saw over 30 MPs and dozens of councillors from his camp being recalled from the public offices last year.
Soon after his election, Mwonzora indicated that he was keen to talk to Chamisa and leaders of other opposition parties.
Mwonzora says he was bringing a new brand of opposition politics and that members of MDC Alliance had already approached him to rejoin the party.
Turning to the deadly global Coronavirus pandemic, Chamisa said they have been forced to suspend most of their activities but indicated that he “shall be communicating with Zimbabweans more regularly this year, sharing our agenda and programs”.
“There is so much to do and a lot of energy and commitment to do it. Unfortunately, we are in the middle of a deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This means we have had to suspend most of our programs. It can’t be business as usual. The lives of all Zimbabweans matter.”
