Saturday, October 16, 2010

GPA not one-man band — Chamisa

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s political party on Friday said they were part of the inclusive government not because of President Robert Mugabe’s benevolence but because they were given the mandate by the people of Zimbabwe in the March 2008 elections.

The MDC-T said it was not bothered if the life of the unity government was not extended beyond February next year.

Hon Nelson Chamisa

The MDC-T said the Global Political Agreement (GPA) was not about President Mugabe.
“It’s not a one-man band,” said Nelson Chamisa, the MDC-T spokesperson.

“It’s not only about Mr Mugabe and what he thinks or wishes.”

Chamisa said his party was not worried whether the life of the unity government was extended or not.“We do not want it (the inclusive government’s life) extended,” Chamisa said. “We wanted out long back but because of the people of Zimbabwe, we have remained. We want to protect them from dictatorship and autocracy.”

The MDC-T was reacting to threats by President Mugabe not to extend the life of the inclusive government because he was disappointed with the MDC formations.

Addressing the Zanu PF National Youth Assembly in Harare on Thursday, President Mugabe said he was disappointed by the propensity of the MDC formations to invite foreigners, particularly Europeans, into Zimbabwe’s domestic affairs.

“The life of this creature called the GPA is only two years,” the President said. “ . . . Some will say let us negotiate and give it another life.
I am reluctant because part of the things that are happening are absolutely foolish and stupid.”But Chamisa told NewsDay the MDC-T was in government because they were overwhelmingly voted by the people of Zimbabwe in March 2008.

“We are not in government on the magnanimity of Zanu PF. We are in government because of the magnanimity of the people of Zimbabwe,” Chamisa said.“We should be chasing away Zanu PF because they are the ones living on borrowed time and borrowed legitimacy.

Zanu PF is a direct beneficiary of the magnanimity of MDC and the people of Zimbabwe.”He added: “They (Zanu PF) were rejected.

They were voted out and they started beating people. It’s a fact and it’s known.

People are tired of political rhetoric. They want jobs, food, shelter and education, not name-calling. It doesn’t serve people.”Chamisa said the MDC-T helped address some of the thorny problems the country faced since coming into the inclusive government.

“It is a fact that we brought functionality. We brought the sanity that the people can now see,” he said.“Of course there are challenges faced by Zimbabweans, but we have managed to open schools and factories. Everything had collapsed under Zanu PF.”

He said the MDC-T had also managed to “debunk the notion that restrictive measures were responsible for our economic problems”.Chamisa said had it not been for the “intransigencies” of Zanu PF, the inclusive government could have achieved greater things.

“We have not made the progress we would have wanted because of the intransigencies of Zanu PF who think everything is economics of power not power of economics,” he said.Chamisa said the MDC-T had sacrificed so much to “save” Zanu PF but “it’s a pity our colleagues in Zanu PF do not reciprocate”.

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