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Marondera yesterday, with party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai urging supporters to vote for him so he can invite his Western “friends’’ to flood Zimbabwe with money.
Mr Tsvangirai made a similar pledge ahead of the formation of the inclusive Government in 2009 and even though ministers drawn from his party superintended over the finance and economic development portfolios over the past four years, no money was forthcoming from the “friends’’.
If anything, the so-called friends have since dumped Mr Tsvangirai and his party to re-engage President Mugabe and Zanu-PF, a development analysts equated to an indictment of MDC-T’s electoral chances.
“Between August and December we should deal with bad governance, corruption and primitive accumulation. We are going to convene an international conference to mobilise financial support for economic reconstruction.
“Tinofanira kudaidza shamwari dzine mari. We will review all laws and public bodies inhibiting investment. We are going to establish a land commission in compliance with the Constitution. Minda yakagovewa vamwe havana kuwana, vamwe vane mapurazi 10,10, vamwe five-five, vamwe seven, seven.”
Launching his party’s manifesto, which has no five-year development plan, but just a 100-day programme, and which in part wrongly attributes the multi-currency regime to MDC-T, Mr Tsvangirai said he will reverse key national policies put in place by the Zanu-PF Government should his party win.
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The multi-currency regime was, however, introduced in the budget presented by the then Acting Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa ahead of the formation of the inclusive Government in February 2009.
Mr Tsvangirai pledged to establish a gender commission to look into women’s grievances, independent complaints commission to handle citizens’ complaints against civil servants and the national healing commission to heal “wounds” caused by Gukurahundi and Murambatsvina.
He displayed a wad of Zimdollars to his supporters, claiming President Mugabe wanted to reintroduce the currency.
Last Friday, the President said the local currency would not be introduced anytime soon, but in the long run as a nation cannot survive on a borrowed currency.
Mr Tsvangirai attributed all the positive developments that have happened in the country during the tenure of the inclusive Government to MDC-T.
He pledged to resurrect policies that Zanu-PF introduced soon after independence like free primary education and maternity fees.
Mr Tsvangirai went on to thank Sadc and in particular South African President Jacob Zuma and his international relations advisor Ms Lindiwe Zulu “for helping to steer this country from catastrophe”.
He said no individual had a right to pull Zimbabwe out of any international body, in reference to President Mugabe’s remarks last Friday that if Sadc does stupid things, the country would pull out of the grouping.
“A code of conduct for the security sector will also be introduced,” he said.
Mr Tsvangirai, once again, pledged to improve conditions of service for civil servants which he said must be similar to those in the private sector.
He vowed to reshuffle the Registrar-General’s Office.
Although Mr Tsvangirai claimed the MDC-T would romp to victory come July 31, he alleged Zanu-PF plans to rig the election, a claim reinforced by Mrs Theresa Makone, the MDC-T Women’s Assembly chairperson and co-Minister of Home of Affairs.
“Do not worry vachada kubira but even inside those institutions people are telling us how they are going to rig,” he said. Buttressing the claim, Mrs Makone alleged Zanu-PF intended to rig elections in areas such as Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe.
UMP is a known Zanu-PF stronghold. She said it was impossible for Zanu-PF to register 55 000 votes during its primary elections, claiming the figure was exaggerated with the intention to steal the ballot.
Addressing the same gathering, MDC-T youth assembly leader leader Mr Solomon Madzore, who is out on bail on charges of allegedly murdering a police inspector, said the MDC-T was prepared to shed blood for the MDC-T’s cause.
Online Reporter