By Mari Matutu | There was drama on Saturday when two seniors leading to an outfit called MDC-Thoko came out dressed in Nelson Chamisa’s shirt design, thread to thread, ink by pixel of coloration, they must have purchased the shirts solely for that function at Harvest House where one of them would announce that their MDC – T is now called by Nelson Chamisa’s brand and name. The third of them, Thokozani Khupe herself, wore makeup that made her look like a 42 year old, perfectly matching herself with her nemesis Chamisa.
The layout was that of: Thokozani Chamisa, Douglas Chamisa, and Morgen Chamisa.
I would like to thank my Orginising Secretary Hon Amos Chibaya for hard working. Just in two weeks he mobilised 300K voters to object the recalls of MDC A MPs by MDC T. He worked with a team. If the party cannot complement this consultation with full statements of what voters say then let you be cursed.
What more consultation do we want? ZEC has a constitutional duty to respond and remedy this injustice.
s233 of the constitution is clear like the back of a goat. It is our leadership’s duty to put ZEC to account.
As a party we cannot say we object party list filing of candidates but we want by elections for constituency candidates. What kind? An MP is an MP. We object the recalls as they are. No rebranding when we already objected as MDC A. Anyone talking about going for by elections on these seats and rebranding is an agent of the enemy. It is clear that ZEC changed strategy after seeing our objections. The election dates came up after reading our objections. MDC T is announcing that it’s now MDC A after reading our objections. Mwonzora is now silent and using the foolish Komichi to talk.
We have caught the thief with hands in the jar. Stand up and demand your right. We are not second citizens in Zimbabwe. If the national laws are all on our side why do we go to courts? Declare our rights. Tell ZEC to write a letter to parliament in terms of s233(f) directing parliament to allow MPs to take back their seats. There is no vacancy.
The records in their possesion say it all that these MPs are MDC A and not MDC T and tell parliament that s129(1)(k) has no provision for recalling someone for ceasing to belong to MDC T which is a member of MDC A. There is no such provision to recall. Only MDC A can recall these MPs.
ZEC as we demand must advise Parliament to uphold the constitution and secure the observance of values and principles of democracy. ZEC as a protector of our s67 political rights must write and remind parliament that citizens have a right to political choice at any given time. No agreement of what ever sort can direct a citizen on whom to vote or not to vote for, or direct what kind of political organisation to form or to join. No agreement can deploy people to stand for election on behalf of it. The right to stand for election is a direct thing each citizen of age has. We do not stand on behalf of political parties. We stand for political parties. Standing for is far much different from standing on behalf of. The law provides for standing for only and no standing on behalf of. We are the ones who make choice of a party to stand for. It is not the party which chooses us to stand on its behalf. It is no where in the laws of Zimbabwe. After choosing the party and it accepts, we stand in an election in conjunction with a party not as deployees of a party but partners. The partnership has three parties. The voters who nominate candidates, the candidate who choose a party and party symbol and the party which accepts to promote the election of a candidate. Take note, the agreement is only in relation to sponsoring of election or the candidate using party brand as what he or she stands for during election from the day of election. Only if one of the parties to agreement breaks the promise does the agreement break. Some break at nomination. They fail to go through. Some break at elections voters fail to vote enough and after winning election if member ceases to belong to a party of agreement then the partnership is broken.
ZEC must save the millions of US$ that are used to subvert the will of the people. ZEC has an obligation in s233(d) to promote accountability and transparency. ZEC cannot finance the subverting of the will of the people through un constitutional and unlawful recalls done by political opponents. It is a gross violation of our constitition for ZEC to finance electoral fraud and cause the country to pay huge sums instead of exercising its duty.
Remind Silayigwana that in our memories it is still fresh that in 2008 he kept election results for 6 weeks and tampering with them. We are still aware that he changed results of presidential elections of 2018 for 3 times. He is still a soldier bound by the Defence Act. His actions and conduct are seen in press statements he gives.
Remind ZEC we wait for their action. They have no option and this matter does not need court. The one who needs a court is MDC T to get an electoral court order that must first say these members are MDC T which is a member of MDC A without such order, ZEC has no ground other than a coup to call for fresh elections.