Newly-elected MDC-T president Douglas Mwonzora said he is willing to work with MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa but on the condition that the latter gets rid of his alleged ties with the ZANU G40 faction and embrace a non-violent approach to politics.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily News’ Senior Staff Writer, Blessings Mashaya, Mwonzora claimed that Jonathan Moyo, an alleged G40 functionary, was interfering with the MDC’s internal affairs. He said:
Yes . . . I am ready to work with Chamisa. I am ready to talk to Chamisa. I am way ready to work with him. I am ready to work with anyone. But there is one fundamental issue… that our relationship must be predicated upon certain values.
Constitutionalism, rule of law, mutual respect, non-violence and so on. But there is a complicating factor, and that is the G40.
The G40 must just get out of the politics of the MDC. I saw as we were going towards our congress, Jonathan Moyo was busy telling the MDC people not to vote for me and he is trying to influence the decision making within the MDC Alliance.
Mwonzora said that there are members from the Chamisa party who have approached the MDC-T seeking to be admitted as members.
He also said Chamisa is free to join the MDC-T.
Mwonzora said that his party will be a focused, responsible and patriotic opposition.
Mwonzora said as a patriotic opposition, the MDC-T will not oppose ZANU PF for the sake of it but will acknowledge and complement when the ruling party does well.
He made the remarks during an interview with the Daily News’ Senior Staff Writer, Blessings Mashaya. Said Mwonzora:
Our promise to Zimbabwe is that we will be a focused, responsible and patriotic opposition.
We will work for the best interest of the Zimbabwean people. That means that what Zanu PF has done correctly, we will acknowledge that and even encourage it or even complement if we can, but what they are doing badly we will expose because that is our duty as the opposition.
Our duty is to keep the ruling party in check. It is to hold them to account and remind them of their electoral promises and that they should work in the best interest of Zimbabweans.
But in order for us to be an effective opposition, we do not have to resort to hate language.
We do not have to insult anyone.
We do not have to denigrate anyone; we do not have to hate the common interests of the Zimbabwean people.
So we will be very effective by the look of things.
The most effective opposition is going to be us but it is going to be responsible and patriotic.
More: Daily News
