By Staff reporter
The MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa urged his party members to beat up any suspicious people who will attempt to stop them from embarking on their planned demonstrations scheduled for the 16th of this month.
Addressing his party members at Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House this week, Chamisa said the MDC would go ahead with demonstrations with or without approval from the police. The party has already written a letter of notification for their demonstration.
“We know Zanu PF will send people to disturb peace and order, deal with those people before you hand them over to police. We are a peaceful party but if you provoke us, we will retaliate in equal measure,” said Chamisa amid ululations and whistling of approval.
He urged his followers to mobilise even school children to join the demo, saying they were also victims of the economic challenges. Ironically, the MDC is on record attacking Zanu PF for allegedly forcing school children to attend its rallies.
MDC co-vice leader, Tendai Biti pledged during the meeting that, he, together with other lawyers within the party, offer free legal representation in the courts for those who will be arrested. The pledge shocked observers who questioned why the party was anticipating arrests when they are telling the world that they will be engaging in peaceful demonstrations.
Chamisa was forced by members to talk about the demonstration after he attempted to evade the subject. He had taken some time talking about educating the grassroots on the new polling station based structures. Chamisa’s appetite for demonstrations is believed to have been deflated after he was told by his spiritual advisors that the problem in Zimbabwe were otherworldly emanating from a violation of spiritual standing orders by former President Robert Mugabe. He was reportedly told not to waste time by demonstrating as it would not change anything.
When pressured to talk aboutdemonstrations, he said Job Sikhala had given President Emmerson Mnangagwa a 14 day ultimatum to initiate dialogue with him. He went further to say “pane imwe signal yamuchada here inopfuura iyoyi.” He said President Mnangagwa’s dialogue initiative under the Political Actors’s Dialogue (POLAD) was in bad faith as he incorporated “stone sculptors on board.” This was in apparent reference to Brian Mteki who also contested in the presidential race.
The MDC leader directed party legislators and councillors during the meeting, to financially support Vincent Tsvangirai in his bid to bag the Glenview South Constituency during the forthcoming by-election. He said, as a show of support, the International Youth Day Commemorations will be held in that constituency on the 12th of this month.
Sources within the MDC revealed that there are plans to burn ZUPCO buses and businesses owned by people aligned to Zanu PF during the demonstrations.
