ONE could be forgiven for thinking the official opening of the Eighth session of Parliament yesterday was a Zanu PF celebration of sorts given the huge turnout of the party’s supporters and the conspicuous absence of MDC-T.
WONAI MASVINGISE SENIOR REPORTER
The ceremony was a Zanu PF affair as supporters in party regalia turned out to witness the colourful event with its usual pomp and fanfare.
A cavalcade of horses and President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace’s arrival in a black Rolls Royce got the proceedings off to a colourful start.
MDC-T chose to boycott the event saying the presence of its legislators would be an acknowledgement of Mugabe’s July 31 election victory.
But ordinary people on the streets of Harare said the MDC-T boycott was futile because Zanu PF held the majority in Parliament and would not be bothered by the absence of opposition legislators.
“Their boycott has no impact because Zanu PF has a two thirds majority and so it is useless really,” Tendai Munaku said.
“People voted them into Parliament and so their actions are not in people’s interests.
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“For the five years they were in Parliament they forgot about the people.
“By boycotting the opening ceremony, the MDC is acting out of emotions. They are showing their immaturity.”
Charles Maenzanise said he felt let down by MDC-T because they had chosen to boycott the opening ceremony.
“MDC let us down because of their immaturity and lack of planning,” he said.
“They lost the election because they did not have any clear strategy. Their style of politics is always reactionary and acting out of anger and emotion and that is where Zanu PF beats them.
“Now they want to boycott Parliament and yet we want them to be there. In whose interests are they acting really?”
Wilson Tichaona said MDC-T should boycott the whole session of Parliament because they had failed the people of Zimbabwe.
“If they don’t want to participate then they should just go. What exactly did they do for us in the past five years anyway?” asked Tichaona.
However, Tinotenda Mhindu, an airtime vendor said MDC-T was right to boycott the opening ceremony.
“MDC is right to boycott this event. They are not boycotting Parliament, but they are boycotting Mugabe,” he said.
‘They will attend Parliament, but they are not attending this event in protest against Mugabe who stole the election.”
MDC-T organising secretary Nelson Chamisa declined to comment referring questions to party spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora who could not be reached for comment.
