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MDC: The only serious party - President Tsvangirai
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
December 05, 2011

Let us have politics of issues not of personalities, and allow the people to choose because ultimately the mandate of the people comes from the people, President Tsvangirai has said. He was addressing thousands of party supporters in Bulilima East, Plumtree at Dingumuzi stadium on Saturday.

President Tsvangirai said the unity of the people of this country will not be broken by those who want to sing ethnic politics. He said parties should speak on programmes of progress, and what they want to do for the people, not politics of personalities. "As the MDC when we get into government, our focus is to attract investment so that jobs are created for the unemployed people, and it is to ensure that our infrastructure including electricity, roads, railway is improved. We want to ensure that all schools have ICT facilities; that is our future," said President Tsvangirai.

The next elections will be held under the spotlight of the whole world. The only party that has united the people from Chipinge to Plumtree, from Zambezi to Mutare is the MDC. We are not against other parties, but parties should be serious. This country has serious problems and requires serious people and the only serious party in the country is the MDC."

He said the coming elections are watershed elections where the struggle for democracy should eventually win over dictatorship and tyranny. "When we formed the MDC, we wanted to win power through the ballot. Now how do we reach that goal when people are not registered? The challenge we have is that we are in a democratic struggle and this struggle demands that the next elections be watershed elections. If we want change, let us all go and vote," urged President Tsvangirai.

He said: "We won the mandate of the people before, we are not afraid of elections. We only want the elections to be conducted in a free and fair manner. We have spoken against violence, meeting all the parties, and we are urging every one to encourage non violence and if that's a commitment Zanu PF is prepared to take then we say congratulations, but it is very difficult to change the spots of the leopard."

President Tsvangirai further pointed out that national healing was a necessary step in rebuilding the nation. He said the Gukurahundi issue needed to be addressed if true healing is to take place.

Thousands of people including women and children were murdered by the North Korean-trained 5 brigade in the early 1980s. "Silence is not a solution. We have to confront this. If we don't confront it, it will continue to be a burden to this nation. Any idea of national healing would be fruitless," he said.

On indigenisation, President Tsvangirai said the MDC differed with Zanu PF because the sunset party seeks to destroy and shrink the national cake rather than expand it for the greater good of the nation.

"How are jobs created? Jobs are not created by crying or praying, there must be a strategic plan of how to create jobs by attracting investment inside and outside the country. The restructuring and recapitalisation of the country's economy will create jobs. Jobs are created by ensuring that you increase the size of the cake not shrinking the small cake. Jobs are not created by forcibly taking over part of established companies, but by ensuring that there are more companies opening. That's where we differ with Zanu PF on indigenisation.

Nowhere in the world have you seen people moving away from urban areas to rural areas, the opposite should be happening as people search for employment opportunities. Most of our young people have crossed the borders to get jobs, yet Zanu PF is destroying industries," said President Tsvangirai.

He said there had been no progress in the last decade which had destroyed the country's economy, social services and general livelihoods of the people. He said, since the formation of the GNU, there has been progress. "Let us look at the MDC in government in the last three years. Think of where you have been, and where we are now. That's the only way you can measure whether the GNU is working or not working," he said.

"In 2009, we had a budget of one billion dollars, but today we are talking of a four billion dollar budget. That's progress. That's advancement of economic needs of the country. Our country now has one of the lowest inflation in the world and a growth rate of 9.4 % is expected in the next year which is a significant improvement as compared to no progress at all," he said.

"In the social services sector, people now go to the hospitals and are getting treatment. In the next year, we hope by the Health Transition Fund, women and children who go to the clinics will not be paying. In the education sector, for the first time we have printed 13 million text books so that every primary school child has four textbooks of elementary education. We are working to ensure that the same happens to our secondary school children," he said.

He said the country still faces water challenges which saw the return of Cholera in some parts of Harare hence it was a government priority.

"We need to improve, but it's a much better situation than it was before the Inclusive government. We went to Mtshabezi dam; very soon, that dam will be supplying water to Matabeleland region. "But you must know that the present government is a coalition one with the MDC and Zanu PF. When we say this is progress, the other party sabotages these activities," he said.

He said Matabeleland provinces were prone to droughts while the majority of able-bodied young men and women cross the borders to South Africa and Botswana, adding that this was not a healthy situation.

"The most disheartening thing in the province is that there is no food. Food passes through Beitbridge to Harare then is redistributed from Harare to Matabeleland and then problems are faced to transport it back to Matabeleland. That's a serious shortfall of our food response to a drought prone province. "But I want to assure everyone that no one should die of hunger. We will do everything in our power to make sure that food has been moved from surplus areas to drought prone provinces," he said.

Speaking at the same rally, Hon Lovemore Moyo, the National Chairperson urged the people to hold on to their belief and hope for a new Zimbabwe. "We are near yet it may seem so far away. We are near to Canaan, though our votes have always been stolen and rigged, this time we want to bury Zanu PF. It will not get anything in the next election. The people know that since the formation of the inclusive government, change has been seen. There is food in the homes; children are now going to school.

The youth Assembly deputy Secretary, Mpumelelo Ndlovu urged the young people to register to vote, defend the people's vote and uphold the will of the people. "We have the mandate to deliver change in this country. Our brothers and sisters who have crossed the borders should come back to register so that come election time, our vote will bring the change we all desire to see. We believe in taking action for the future we envisage. Let us participate fully," he urged.

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