HARARE – MDC founding president Morgan Tsvangirai’s daughter, Millicent, has weighed in on the revelations that her brother Vincent is fully behind interim MDC president Thokozani Khupe in the battle for control of the opposition party in Zimbabwe.
Khupe wrestled the MDC headquarters on Thursday evening from rival opposition leader Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance.
Vincent Tsvangirai, the Glen View South legislator, is among several topembers of the Tsvangirai family, who include Manatsa Tsvangirai, that have sided with Khupe in her battle against Chamisa.
Writing on social media, Millicent, who apparently is behind Chamisa, says she respects her brother’s right to back a camp of his own choice. She described as silly the questions she has met on social media asking why Vincent is supporting Khupe.
“I hate it when people ask me silly questions on why my brother Vincent is now supporting MDC-T. Thats his decision, and MDC-T is a party founded by our father,” said Millicent Tsvangirai.
But this is not the first time Vincent has gone against Chamisa. In March this year, the deadlocked Vincent moved away from the Chamisa-led party position after admitting that economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West are hurting ordinary people.
The MDC Alliance has insisted on corruption and not sanctions as the reason behind the country’s economic crisis.
Responding to oral evidence presented by an organisation named Broad Alliance Against Sanctions who petitioned parliament over the western embargo, Tsvangirai said whilst there may be proposals for the Patriotic Act there was need to protect citizens.
The group has been campaigning for a Patriotic Act to deal with those perceived to have invited the restrictive measures but Tsvangirai said it was not necessary to go that route.
“My fear is that it (Patriotic Act) may sound good to put an act like that, for one, I am a patriotic person who believes that sanctions do hurt ordinary persons but at the same time making an act like that I believe sometimes you may end up opening citizens to further harm.
“There are other ways like you said they are targeted sanctions correct, we want to find out who are the targeted people on those sanctions. Then are they economic sanctions and what are they dealing with those economic sanctions (sic).
“I believe they should go in this day and age they don’t help anything if you look at every other countries out there in the world. Look at all the statistics that are out there they don’t help with anything, you may target one person but that person is never targeted and that person will continue with their lives,” said Tsvangirai
He was however, quick to say whilst sanctions must go there are multiple wrongs happening in the country.
“At the same time there are multiple wrongs happening in this country and those cannot be avoided as well. I do feel for the ordinary people that are getting hurt at the same time let us not rush as if things are not happening in the country” he said in March. – Zimbabwe Voice
