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A visibly miffed Mr Tsvangirai took a swipe at the people of Mashonaland Central, accusing them of cowardice for snubbing his rallies.
He blamed the poor attendance of his rally at Rushinga, held in the heart of the shopping centre, to alleged intimidation by Zanu-PF even though he moved around without incident. However, Mashonaland Central is a known Zanu-PF stronghold whose revolutionary roots date back to the liberation struggle as it was one of the provinces that bore the brunt of the war as the bones at Chibondo, remnants of Rhodesian brutality, show.
Addressing about 100 people who turned up for his star rally in Rushinga, the MDC-T leader likened people in Mashonaland Central to puppies that were still to open their eyes.
“Kutya zvakadai? Munoda kurutsiswa imi. Kuno kuRushinga vanhu vava kuita kunge zvimbwanana zvakavharwa maziso zvisati zvavona shanduko,” an irate Mr Tsvangirai said.
Mr Tsvangirai said Zimbabwe would slide back to the heightened economic challenges of 2008 if Zimbabweans snubbed him at the polls.
Illegal Western sanctions called for by the MDC-T paralysed the economy over the past decade forcing industries to close and inflation to skyrocket thereby eroding the general standard of living.
Mr Tsvangirai, who is on a tour of Mashonaland Central, attributed the multi-currency regime that was introduced before the formation of the inclusive Government by then Acting Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa, to the MDC-T. The MDC-T leader blamed the 2008 economic challenges on mismanagement and did not mention the impact of the illegal Western sanctions imposed at the instigation of his party.
The EU and its allies have since removed some of the sanctions but President Mugabe remains on the list.
Mr Tsvangirai, who was accompanied by MDC-T organising secretary Mr Nelson Chamisa, Mr Elton Mangoma and Mr Murisi Zwizwai, went on to accuse Zanu-PF of blocking people from registering to vote. He claimed in Harare alone over a million voters were denied the right to register to vote.
Mr Tsvangirai was scheduled to visit Mount Darwin Centre, according to his official itinerary, but annoyed by the poor attendance of his Rushinga rally, he instead headed for Bindura.
On his way to Bindura, he stopped over at Madziwa and attempted to address vegetable vendors who scurried away on seeing him. Addressing an afternoon rally at Chipadze Stadium attended by a respectable crowd compared to that at Rushinga, Mr Tsvangirai made a number of pledges that he said he would implement if elected into office.
He pledged to compensate all Zimbabweans who were brutalised during the country’s liberation struggle. Mr Tsvangirai further pledged to compensate all MDC-T supporters who were allegedly traumatised by Zanu-PF during previous elections.
“Mashonaland Central bore the brunt of the liberation struggle. No-one should tell you kuti takabva kuhondo when the people were liberated 33 years ago. It is the role of the State to compensate them. Heroes of the democratic struggle must also be compensated,” Mr Tsvangirai charged. The MDC-T is on record of castigating the then Zanu-PF Government for giving war veterans compensation saying the move was inflationary.
“There is a lot to be done by our local authorities. There is no water, no sanitation and vanhu varikungovaka kwese kwese.” An MDC-T government, he said, would invite foreigners to invest in Zimbabwe.
Online Reporter