NELSON Chamisa, the MDC-Alliance leader, has admitted his party alone may not be able to push President Emmerson Mnangagwa out of his job through protests, telling journalists Friday it was time for the masses to take up the mantle and free themselves.
This comes amid renewed crackdown on party activists and lawyers by the state, something that could further weaken the main opposition in its fight to press for accountable leadership under the Zanu PF led administration.
MDC has used peaceful demonstrations as its main tool to press for better living conditions in the country as well as try and force the current national leadership to relinquish power.
Addressing journalists outside the Harare Magistrates’ Courts where he had gone to show solidarity following the arrest of his co-vice presidents Tendai Biti and Lynnette Kore, among seven party officials, Friday, Chamisa, according to a local news agency said revolutions start with the supporters not leaders.
“Water does not boil from the top, it boils from the bottom. You will never have a timetable for a revolution,” he said.
“People have a right to express themselves and that is why we have a Constitution in terms of section 59 if they feel they want to. It will never come from the top.
“Weight is not felt higher at the top but at the bottom and that’s where obviously the people have a right to express themselves,” he said.
The opposition party leader said hardships unfolding in Zimbabwe do not require a conference to be convened.
He described the factional fights in the opposition party currently underway over the control of Harvest House (rechristened Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House) as insignificant saying it was only the State House that is of consequence.
“I do not understand why this should call for a conference. A struggle will never have offices and that’s why this whole false focus on the Harvest House is a waste time. The real house which is of consequence here is the State House. Where we must be able to address the status and settings of things,” Chamisa said.
“Enough is enough. A revolution will never offices. A struggle will never have offices. That is why the fight is for Harvest House is a waste of time.
“We need Zimbabweans to be their own liberators. Otherwise, we are going to have this merry go round for a longtime. We should be authors of our own destination as a people. The real house that is of consequence is the State House where we have to make sure that we have the correct people in government.
“So you will not get me to announce, we have to mobilise. We have the right according to the Constitution to demonstrate peacefully and send a clear message that we need change and change is now.”
Chamisa whose MDC leadership has been reversed by the courts, said the ruling had no effect as he was already leader of the MDC Alliance.
“I am not seeking to be president of the MDC-T, I am already president of the MDC Alliance. So I will not be reduced into petty fights of labelling and condemning people.
“We are going to be leading Zimbabwe including Mr. Mnangagwa and Zanu PF. I am going to be leading the whole country. So why should I ostracise and say I don’t want to see Mnangagwa.”
