MDC-T leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has embarked on a countrywide mission to rally his troops for yet another battle to dislodge President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF.
Report By Dumisani Sibanda/OBEY Manayiti
Tsvangirai yesterday held a closed-door meeting with the party’s Manicaland provincial executive council.
This was the third meeting with provincial executive officers in as many weeks, following similar meetings in Harare and Chitungwiza, whereQ he urged members to “guard our zones of autonomy”.
At yesterday’s meeting, the MDC-T leader called upon his supporters to stay put and continue mobilising supporters. Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka yesterday said the Prime Minister had been at the scene of what he described as “brazen electoral theft”.
“This is part of a process of normal engagement with his troops,” he said.
“People are angry. They know their victory was stolen and he is engaging them, which is a sign of good leadership.”
Zanu PF got 22 of Manicaland’s 26 House of Assembly seats in the just-ended polls, a reversal of the trend in 2008. Provincial chairperson Julias Magarangoma said after the meeting, they were going to continue mobilising their grassroots support in anticipation of a re-run.
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“The sole purpose of the meeting was about mapping our way forward as a party in light of the rigged election,” he said.
“We wanted to tell the people what is expected of them by the party so we could avoid the unexpected.
“The president (Tsvangirai) said we are going back to the people, to our respective constituencies and tell them to continue mobilising and doing what they have been doing because we know that elections were stolen from us.”
Members who attended the meeting said the issues raised included the bussing of people, partisan conduct of traditional leaders, intimidation and illegal distribution of voter registration slips.
“We are going back to the people to continue with the struggle in view of the party’s position that we will be going back to the elections,” Magarangoma added.
Tsvangirai was accompanied by the party’s national organising secretary Nelson Chamisa, deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma and members of the national youth executive. The Constitutional Court will from tomorrow hear a petition by Tsvangirai, as the outgoing Premier attempts to have last month’s election nullified.
