HARARE – Newly elected MDC-T president Douglas Mwonzora took the opportunity of his first press conference to sound warning shots to Zanu PF promising to keep the ruling party on its toes and do all he can to unite a divided opposition.
Announcing the MDC-T as “the government in waiting,” Mwonzora said he will “work professionally with Zanu PF” in proffering robust solutions to the myriad of problems facing Zimbabwe.
Mwonzora on Sunday polled 883 votes to Thokozani Khupe’s miserly 118 votes, to become the opposition party president.
Morgen Komichi and Elias Mudzuri got nine and 14 votes in a poll marred by allegations of vote rigging and violence with Khupe being slapped by a yet to be identified MDC-T official. Mwonzora has condemned the violence insisting a commission of enquiry will investigate the matter.
“We are the government in waiting. What we demand from them (Zanu PF) is what we will ask them to demand from us when we become the government,” Mwonzora said.
He insisted that the direction that the party will take will dispel rumours of an unholy alliance between himself and the ruling party.
“Our relationship will be non-toxic. Our leadership will not insult anyone but it will be an effective opposition. We assure Zimbabweans that working together with Zanu PF, we will not be working for Zanu PF,” he said.
“Our leadership has enormous responsibility. First we have to unite the party. We want to rebuild this movement.”
He added that he is for national dialogue.
“I have said (Nelson) Chamisa is not my enemy. Welshman Ncube is not my enemy. Tenda Biti is not my enemy. Managua is not my enemy. My enemy is poverty. My enemy is the unemployment. My enemy are the deliberating issues,” he said. – Zim Monirng Post