THE British parliament has been told that opposition Douglas Mwonzora’s MDC Alliance is nothing but a ruling Zanu PF party project.
Lord Jonathan Oates, told the British House of Lords that Mwonzora’s project lost the recent by-elections even after receiving US$1,5 million dollars from government for campaigns.
The Liberal Democrats peer has a history with Zimbabwe, having – according to his memoir – taught at a rural school in the country before going on to work as a a political adviser in South Africa’s first post-apartheid parliament.
Mwonzora’s party performed dismally in the parliamentary local by-elections where most of its candidates could not get 10 votes from polling stations.
Lord Oates detailed how Zanu PF had hounded the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and its leader Nelson Chamisa ahead of the March 26 by-elections.
“In those elections, the main opposition party was denied the right even to use its own name in these elections or to access the public funds it was entitled to,” said Oates.
“In response its leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa, announced the formation of a new political movement called the Citizens Coalition for Change, or CCC.
“That party won 19 of the 28 parliamentary seats up for election and hundreds of councillors, despite its formation just two months before the polls; its lack of funds, and widespread intimidation and obstruction of its campaign by the state.
“By contrast, Zanu PF’s puppet opposition faction, which had been gifted approximately $1.5 million in campaign funds by the state, won precisely none.”
Mwonzora’s project is crumbling according to former party member and losing Epworth parliamentary candidate Zivai Mhetu.
According to Mhetu, Mwonzora’s demise was sealed by his failure to keep the Zanu PF government on its toes, choosing instead to cosy up to their former nemesis.
“The purpose of any opposition in Zimbabwe is to keep the Zanu PF ruling party and government on its toes, if it stops doing that it ceases to become one as is the case with MDC Alliance,” said Mhetu.
“There is no perfect organisation in the world; once people lose confidence in an organisation they leave at different time frames. I lost confidence and left, prior to my departure others had left and as I left, others were contemplating leaving.”
He continued; “The by-elections were a benchmark for us to predict how the party will perform in 2023.
“You cannot get a zero in a by-election that comes a year before an election and expect miracles. That is playing kindergarten politics, the people have spoken, it is clear the MDC Alliance is not going anywhere.” – Newzim
