MDC MEMO TO ALL ZIMBABWEANS
ALL NATIONAL leaders
ALL PROVINCIAL Leaders
ALL DISTRICT leaders
ALL WARD leaders
ALL BRANCH leaders
ALL MPs and Cnclrs
31 AUGUST 2018, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI HOUSE, HARARE
Revolutionary and convivial greetings to you all.
1. Congratulations to every one of you for your service, sacrifice, hard work and well-deserved victory in the July 30 elections.Makorokoto, Amhlope!!People alone are the makers of history. You have made history!! Our struggle is a people’s struggle, your struggle.
2. In this election, we managed to field candidates in both parliament and council more than ever in the history of our party.
3. Despite some challenges that arose during the nominations where in some areas we had more than one candidate, we tried our best to resolve others but we must certainly improve on our internal democracy and electoral processes, now and in the future.
4. Our campaign, however, was incredible. We ran an exciting and unparalleled killer-campaign.We made history. We managed to hold a record of 87 Presidential rallies across the country and more than 500 consultative meetings with community and opinion leaders from various sectors and areas
5. From the 2013 election, we have managed to increase the number of our MPS in parliament from 41 to 88 inclusive of our 24 women proportional representatives .We have increased our Senators to 24
6. From this election, we control over 26 urban councils out of 32 (81%) and we must be proud of that. We won 536 council seats.We control all the metropolitan cities and towns including Harare and Bulawayo.
7. Our support base are the majority of active people and taxpayers who contribute about 80% of the taxes collected in the country.
8. If we compare with our previous election, again we have made significant inroads into rural areas and farming communities.
9. Our Presidential election campaign was massive and won the popular vote. We won this election and won it resoundingly. 2.6 million People voted for us. Even, on ZECs announced totals, this is the best tally our party has ever produced. It is also a significant increase with about a million votes from our previous best tally even by ZEC’s own figures.
10. I would like to thank all those who worked tirelessly to support the party and our campaign. We have many people who contributed their time, money and effort to this struggle. Our youth, women, polling agents, technical staff, volunteers, generational consensus, Zimbabweans and party structures in the DIASPORA, organising department and all that teams, I salute you for your incredible work, service and sacrifice.
11. Despite the inhuman, barbaric and cruel tactics that you saw on the 1st of August which led to the loss of innocent civilian lives, we should not allow those who have stolen our victory to rob our people and get away with it. Zimbabweans voted for and yearn for change.
12. On account of our pursuit of peace and constitutional means to exhaust all domestic remedies we chose to pursue the legal route and lodged a very strong case at the Constitutional Court.I wish to thank all of you for being peaceful, resisting all machinations and temptation to descend into anarchy in the face of provocation instigated by our opposition.
13. Apart from the results which show that we won this election with 2.6 million of the vote, we have unearthed clear traces of manipulation with a shoddy attempt to launder the baseless election result that gave Mr Mnangagwa a narrow win with about 38 000 votes we have already demonstrated doesn’t exist. Our matter did not call for the reopening of the ballot boxes or the so called election residue. If ZEC announces 18million votes in a country of 10million people the matter ends there. It is a fraud. No need to open any ballot box.
14. Contrary to the finding of the Court, we presented a very strong case in court that did not need us to do any opening of election residue or present V11s because as you know, we were using ZEC’s own results. Mr Mnangagwa’s votes were, among other things inflated using a combination of the following methods –
a) Wrong results were announced by ZEC
b) ZEC’s own figures which do not tally
c) No tally between parliamentary votes and presidential
d) Differences between v11 and v23- with inflation for Mr Mnangagwa and deflation me
e) More votes than the people registered under the polling station
f) No tally between people who voted and results announced
g) Polling stations collated twice
h) Missing Polling stations unaccounted for
i) Some of my votes omitted from final tally
j) No tallies posted on some of the polling stations
k) Identical results tallied by ZEC
l) Percentages of voter turnout from ZEC not tallying
15. These deliberate manipulations were clearly meant to create a new election result either than the one that reflects the will of our people.
16. We have pursued and exhausted all local legal remedies available to us in order to overturn the brazen subversion of the will of the people.
17. The court judgement is a further entrenchment of the subversion of the will of the people of this country.Whereas we respect the Court and rule of law, It is clear that court erred. It’s judgment has no bearing on the factual issues presented to court and the legal issues the court had to deal with.
18. This all is worsened by the fact that attempts had been made to frustrate our case:
– The sheriff refused to serve our papers on time to give the court an excuse to dismiss our case on a technical grounds.
– The registrar of the Court, under the instruction of Chief Justice Malaba refused to issue a subpoena to bring to Court a ZEC commissioner together with the ZEC server which would have clearly shown we won this election by 56% is being hidden.
– The Minister of Justice, Ziyambi Ziyambi who is conflicted because he is also Mr Mnangagwa’s Chief Election agent denied our foreign lawyers the right to represent us in court.
19. To this day, no one knows exactly how many votes Mr Mnangagwa claims to have got and received in this past election. How does a person win an election with an unknown figure?
20. Although we have instructed our legal team to pursue the matter at continental level via the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, this remains a political legitimacy matter that requires a political solution which we must provide as Zimbabweans.
21. Despite all this, the party foundation remains strong and its structural base remains unshaken.
22. However, in light of the ever-changing political dynamics, the party needs to continue to renew, strengthen and adapt itself.Going forward, leadership and organizational renewal, institutional and constitutional reforms including administrative reform shall be necessary.
23. The country is in a state of stagnation. There is evident collapse of the economy, hyperinflationary rates which shall be exacerbated by the widespread printing of money, widespread rent-seeking looting by the few elite, rife patronage, persistent deadening poverty, no jobs, no cash in banks and lack of confidence in the economy.
24. There is intimidation and coordinated repression against democratic movement leadership and activists which must be immediately stopped.
25. There is general increase of poverty, displacement of vendors and our people. Across the country there is poor social service delivery across.We have a duty to provide leadership and rescue the people and our country.
26.To all our MPs and Councillors, I urge you to perform at the highest level of excellence. We expect you to articulate views espoused in our SMART manifesto document. Resist and shun corruption and arrogance. We will deal ruthlessly with the corrupt and lazy ones. Have a schedule of events for engaging communities, your constituencies and wards frequently and with regularity. Avoid being missing persons(mps).Please meet the voters and thank them. Let us also start meaningful livelihoods and upliftment projects in your constituencies to impact and improve people’s lives.
27.Therefore, on 29 August 2018, the National Council met in Harare at Morgan Tsvangirai House, to review the situation and consider its position and way forward. The council noted that it was meeting in the context of a stolen election. The council considered important matters relating to the elections, the party and the country and made the following resolutions:
a) The people’s President and candidate Advocate Nelson Chamisa won the election with 2.6 million votes and that he is the legitimate President of the country.
b) The Party will consult Zimbabweans across the country and within two weeks about the way forward with regards to the stolen election, thereafter shall embark on a national programme of action resulting from the outreach.
c) The President is broadly mandated to engage all stakeholders local and international, in dialogue with the scope of dealing with the current impasse arising from a stolen election and to resolve related governance issues.
d) The Party will put into effect an earlier resolution to integrate Alliance partners back into the Mainstream MDC.
e) The Party will engage in THANK YOU RALLIES to thank the 2.6 million voters who voted for me as your Presidential candidate , including supporters and all Zimbabweans who voted in this historic election.
28.Any such dialogue by the party must and shall be anchored on a 5 point plan to include –
1. RETURN LEGITIMACY AND DEMOCRACY -The respecting of the WIN and WILL of the people, respecting true outcome of this election.
2.INSTITUTING REFORMS – to allow for the holding of truly free, fair and credible elections in Zimbabwe.The reforms must include electoral reforms, political reforms, Constitutional and Legal reforms.
3.DEALING WITH THE ECONOMY-coming up with an immediate shared and robust economic rescue plan to deal with the deteriorating economic situation and the social security and humanitarian situation.
4. NATION BUILDING, NATIONAL HEALING PEACE and RECONCILIATION -dealing with the rule of law, protection of human rights and good governance issues
5.INTERNATIONAL REENGAGEMENT-to end all international isolation , democracy hygiene issues and dealing with the debt challenge.
29.The Movement for Democratic Change remains the only hope for transformation, sustainable inclusive prosperity and better opportunities for all in Zimbabwe.
30.Our election victories show that the people of this country have trust and confidence in our Party’s SMART AGENDA, it’s leadership, it’s policies and programmes. We must fulfil our people’s hope , expectations and never betraying the people’s aspirations.
31.For those who have been praying and fasting for our success, keep the faith.Do not despair.God’s promises are sure and true. God’s will is not human will. God’s will has no cheating. God’s will can not be rigged. We are praying for an exodus moment. Our faithful God will Take us there. Our God of justice will Take us to that other side. Our God of Mercy will Take us to that Promise.
32.Our Victory is certain!You voted and They cheated but we will pursue and recover all.Together we and you will liberate Zimbabwe .Together we and you will make Zimbabwe great again!!
Behold the NEW, change that delivers!
Thank you
God is in it
God Bless you.
MDC