PRESS STATEMENT: ENGINEER ELIAS MUDZURI EOC BID

Greetings!!!

On 15 September 2020 I announced to the world that I had tested positive for COVID 19 because as a public figure I had that responsibility to my country and the world. It is unfortunate that many thought and still think the pandemic does not exist. It is real and is still infecting and affecting many Zimbabweans.

Let us therefore continue to be cautious and take all necessary measures to prevent its spread. I tested negative to Covid-19 and am now fully recovered and raring to go.

Many thanks to the hospital staff that did their best for me under difficult circumstances. I came face to face with the realities of our collapsed health delivery system. Hospitals are offering the barest minimum of care due to unavailability of adequate PPEs and medicines.

Vital tests are very expensive beyond the reach of the majority and take long to be done and there is a critical shortage of specialists to interpret results and attend to patients. There are no known drugs to cure COVID 19, except for the provision of oxygen and steroids to those with respiratory complications.

Besides that, all that the care givers do is to create the ideal environment for self- healing.
It is imperative that a cure is found. In this endeavour, the government must allocate resources towards research.

We have no excuse and we must not wait for outsiders to develop a cure for us. We must strengthen our health institutions, both the traditional herbal and the international medical
systems.

The Minister of Health has a responsibility to ensure professionalism returns in the health delivery system so that health goods are delivered to all who require them at affordable prices. The government must expedite the resolution of the standoff between the health personnel and the Ministry of Health.

I have spent a whole lot of time reflecting on the developments in both my party MDCT and the nation. I had the chance to reshape and perfect my vision for the Party and Zimbabwe.

MY BID

I will reiterate the message I sent out to you on our 21st Anniversary this year. I am offering my candidature for the presidency of the MDCT at the impending Extraordinary Congress.

If voted for at our forthcoming EOC I will gratefully serve as the President of our great party. With the plan of action I have, I am convinced that together we can build a formidable team of fighters for change, right from branch to the national organs.

This is the team that can defeat ZANUPF at the polls in 2023 and make Zimbabwe work again.

Vision

A united, virtuous MDCT family working together harmoniously to win the 2023 Harmonized Elections and delivering the Zimbabwe we all want.

Agenda

• We need to refocus our attention away from this bruising internal competition for power to the education, mobilization and preparation of our people for the 2023 Harmonized Elections.
• .The EOC must quickly be dispensed with so that the unnecessary divisions are put behind us. Coming up with Dr M. R. Tsvangirai’s successor should not be a dog –eat- dog affair. As is being suggested by our structures, the members of the party must quickly and democratically build consensus around the ideal candidate before the event. The Congress
  should just be there to endorse the candidate as has been our tradition since our inaugural congress in 2000. It should not be a difficult matter as all candidates are known to the Electoral College.
• The MDCT EOC must be quintessential of a democratic process that the country, Africa and the world would emulate.
• As a matter of principle, all those who respect democracy, constitutionalism and fair play must never allow or be part of a process with a predetermined outcome and that does not meet the above standards which we demand from ZANUPF all the time. Genuine democracy is a principle the heroes and heroines of the liberation struggle sacrificed for. It
  is one of the founding values behind the formation of the MDC.
• Intra-party and inter-party dialogue is a critical function of any serious leadership of any organization. Indeed as Zimbabwean people we must dialogue among ourselves in order to find lasting solutions to the problems that have been with us for decades. The political polarization that has brought mistrust among Zimbabweans and stalled economic progress must come to an end. It must never be a question of “US” and “THEM” as we are members of the same family where everyone regardless of class, gender or ethnic origin must have equal opportunities to participate in the governance and economic activities of our country.
• The government’s distributive authority must be used to benefit all Zimbabweans. All our
  youths, women and men must be included in all government empowerment programs. To this end, our communities and different cultural groups must be organized around a shared national vision that should result in the rebuilding and respecting all our national institutions.
  The following will be priority areas that will be given urgent attention soon after assuming office as President of the Party:
• 
  • Restoration of MRT House and Legacy: The sacredness of MRT House, formerly known as Harvest House, which is our national headquarters, will be restored. It is an august house that must never be defiled by unnecessary and unreasonable fights.
• 
  • Democracy: Restoration of constitutionalism and respect for all organs of the party in collective decision making. MDC is an institution that is respected as the largest opposition party poised to replace ZANU PF. It must therefore respect its values and observe international best practices governing modern democratic institutions.
• 
  • People’s Participation: In line with our tradition and values we will resume grassroots consultations and participation in decision making in the party. Wisdom is not a preserve of a few top leaders.
• 
  • Elected Officials: MPs and councillors will always come from the people. NO to imposition of candidates and no to corruption in the selection processes.
  • The Big Tent Concept: We need to unite in the party and nationally. After our EOC, we will bring together all those who have been in the trenches under one banner, one big happy family of democrats. All old and new cadres will be accommodated. A comprehensive recruitment drive will be initiated.
• 
  • Political Victims: We will update our roll of political victims. My family was a victim of political violence during the June 27 2008 presidential runoff campaign that saw hundreds of our members getting murdered in cold blood or being forced into exile by Mugabe’s military regime. We need to heal and counsel the victims.
• 
  • Political Prisoners: We will engage the government on all political prisoners and negotiate their release
• • Violence: The party will reshape the youth wing to become a productive, self – reliant and respectable wing of the party which will never be associated with violence
  • Gender: Ensure equal representation of women in all leadership positions of the party
  • Engage the government on the political, social & economic reform agenda for recovery, development and prosperity.

THE NATION

Issues

Transition Problem

Zimbabwe is caught up in a transitional logjam. To unlock this logjam, we will initiate the first genuine attempt to seek the people’s concerns about problems and solutions to the logjam through an inclusive thorough process of research and consultations. We must depart from the confrontational approach to persuasion, engagement, unification and bridging gaps, to achieve reforms (Economic, social and political). This will eventually lead
to a free and fair election that will be accepted by political players and the nation at large.

We need to work together to ensure that the economic problems bedeviling our country such as – poverty, corruption, sky rocketing prices, erosion of incomes, lack of investment, become a thing of the past.

The country has to focus on socio- economic development and choose dependable economic partners and destinations. The guiding principle will always be that Zimbabwean problems can only be solved by Zimbabweans when they sit down together as brothers and sisters.

Strengthening of and respect for State Institutions:
❖ There is need to reform our state institutions so that they become more robust, technical and compliant to the dictates of their respective functions. This will ensure that there are checks and balances in the governance systems.

If elected President of MDC-T at the EOC I will ensure that we get into the 2023 harmonised elections as a united family with one objective of taking over power from ZANU PF so as to change the fortunes of Zimbabwe. We must not betray the people of Zimbabwe who in the more than twenty years have invested so much into this project of change for a better Zimbabwe.