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This comes amid reports that the manifesto the party launched at Rudhaka Stadium in Marondera on Sunday, was also co-penned by some Americans who have been behind most of the MDC-T’s policy documents among them the 100 Days work plan released when the party joined the inclusive Government.
The MDC-T manifesto also carries borrowed images with the most prominent one being the picture on the inside of the cover that depicts a woman planting a tree. The picture of the South African woman was taken by Anke Van Wyk of Port Elizabeth, South Africa and uploaded on the website www.dreamtimes.com on April 24 2009 where as of last night it had been downloaded 122 times and viewed 2629 times. It costs $0.20 per download.
By late last night, the MDC-T website had pictures of Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, his deputy Ms Thokozani Kuphe, some supporters and four side bars bearing the controversial icons. The first sidebar bearing the US map is inscribed “MDC on the Economy”; the second bearing the facade of the US Supreme Court is dubbed “MDC on Elections”; the third that carries the First Amendment icon is dubbed “MDC on Free Speech” while the last dubbed MDC on Rule of Law carries a gavel, a symbol normally used to denote the same court.
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora initially denied the existence of the icons on the website.
“Our website is under construction, but I do not believe that there are such symbols on it. Let me contact my guys and will come back to you,” he said but his phone later went unanswered until the time of going to print.
He denied reports that the MDC-T manifesto was drafted by the CIA saying, “the manifesto of the MDC is crafted by the spokesperson who chairs the team working on it. As you can see I am not an American or a British or a Canadian. I am proud of the education I got as a Zimbabwean,” he said.
Analysts said the foreign images vindicated reports that the MDC-T was not in control of its campaign material which was reportedly being coordinated by the party’s western handlers after Harvest House failed to draft a manifesto.
Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Zimbabwe Bishop Trevor Manhanga, yesterday said what was displayed on the MDC-T website was clear testimony that the party was an appendage of the West, adding these were some of the strings that were attached to the funding the party was receiving.
He challenged the MDC-T to explain to Zimbabweans the meaning of the symbols on the website.
“As a Zimbabwean political party we expect them to use Zimbabwean symbols not foreign symbols. You can see the hand of the Americans in whatever they are doing and that is very unfortunate.
“The money they are rec0eiving from the Americans comes with some strings attached which are manifesting themselves in these shameful displays on the website. They have completely lost their identity and all this means there is a kind of support they are receiving from the Americans,” he said. Political analyst Cde Gabriel Chaibva said “the chickens were now coming home to roost” and the display of the US map and Supreme Court images confirmed what the people have been saying that the MDC- T was a Western project.
“The pasting of the US map and the US Supreme Court images is an exposure of where the MDC-T website is generated. It is generated from the US and controlled by the CIA. This is a demonstration that the MDC-T manifesto and policies are generated by the White House. No one would be so foolish to do that. These people are directed, controlled and funded by America,” he said.
Another analyst Professor Jonathan Moyo said the displays on the website showed that there was nothing Zimbabwean about the MDC-T, adding it was an American project.
He said if the party was Zimbabwean, where there was an icon of the American map they were supposed to put the Zimbabwean map and where there was the facade of the US Supreme Court, they were supposed to put Great Zimbabwe.
Prof Moyo said these symbols on the MDC-T website showed “the massive hand holding of the MDC-T”, adding that was the reason why the US was on the forefront of leading the MDC-T and behind the scenes.
“They have transformed the MDC-T into a Movement of Delinquent Complaints. Their manifesto has no policies but is full of complaints on the media and security sector reforms.
“All these are American complaints,” he said.
Online Reporter