PM Tsvangirai threatens traditional leaders

He, however, did not specify the action he would take against the chiefs as punishment for supporting the revolutionary party.

Zimbabwe Chiefs Council president Chief Fortune Charumbira could not immediately comment on the threats yesterday.

“Contact me tomorrow (today) after you have published the threats then I will respond adequately,” he said.

Traditional leaders have in the past defended the support they render to Zanu-PF and President Mugabe saying the party and its leader had been steadfast in defending the country’s hard-won independence.

The chiefs have also said they would never support any party that collaborates with the country’s former colonisers.

Turning to next year’s elections, Mr Tsvangirai said the general elections scheduled for March next year should be peaceful.

“We should draw a line and say never again should we allow such things (violence) to           be repeated. Violence will not be allowed in next year’s elections and I want to guarantee that there will be free and fair elections.

“We want Sadc, the AU and UN to come and observe the elections,” he said.

President Mugabe has also spoken against violence on several occasions and last week he told delegates who attended the Second All-Stakeholders’ Conference that engaging in acts of violence was primitive.

The President said Zimbabweans had attained high levels of education and should learn to solve their problems through dialogue.

The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces said because of Zimbabwe’s high literacy levels, it was important that the country led by example and shamed its detractors.

In Chiweshe, Mr Tsvangirai expressed confidence that his party would win the next elections despite the fact that independent surveys have shown that his party’s support base had dwindled.

The shrinking of Mr Tsvangirai’s support base was attributed to a dearth of people-oriented policies.

The surveys say Zanu-PF was tremendously gaining ground due to its ideological clarity on issues that benefit ordinary people like land reform and indigenisation.