The Sunday News
Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
MDC Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa on Friday heaped praises on President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces for rescuing the country from the doldrums of poverty that it had been thrown into by former President Robert Mugabe.
Addressing a poorly attended MDC Alliance rally at Maboleni Business Centre in Lower Gweru, Mr Chamisa said President Mnangagwa has put the country in a transition that has seen it going for elections with excitement that resembles the 1980 polls that brought about independence.
The MDC Alliance leader said President Mnangagwa “pulled a first when he peacefully led the country to a new dispensation through a smooth transition of power.”
He implored other opposition political parties outside the MDC Alliance to shun hate speech, adding that he himself will never denigrate the President but would rather give him due respect for a job well done.
“(President Emmerson Mnangagwa) ED is the link between the two generations. Do not worry about him, we must not insult President Mnangagwa. If anything we must thank him for the great job that he did to agree to take over from former President Robert Mugabe. So do not be afraid of anything because when God’s time comes no one can stop it. This is God’s time. We must never fight or attack ED,” he said.
Mr Chamisa, however inadvertently confirmed that he was pursuing the Rhodesian agenda when he told his supporters that he would pursue projects initiated by Ian Smith in 1975 and claim them as his.
“The former leaders of Government were plundering the resources of this country. They lacked fiscal discipline. We have everything in this country, we have 60 minerals. I have also realised that there are some projects like the methane gas pipeline project which we just need to revive and finish up. So basically it’s an easy job for me if elected into power. There are projects that were initiated by white settlers I will pursue them and pretend that they are mine,” he said.
Mr Chamisa also went on to mock one of the MDC Alliance partners, Professor Welshman Ncube saying he was at one time a senior law lecturer at the university but was now his junior in the party hierarchy.
“I am capable as you can see we have professors like Welshman Ncube here who were our leaders and lecturer at the university but is now my junior, He follows me,” he said.
