BY RICHARD MUPONDE
MDC Alliance says it plans to respond to the controversial ongoing recalls of its legislators from Parliament with protests as it accuses President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government of engineering the chaos.
Former Finance minister Tendai Biti, who is also MDC Alliance deputy president, became one of the biggest victims of the recalls after the Lucia Matibenga-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was allowed to recall six legislators.
Other recalled MPs were Willias Madzimure (Kambuzuma), Settlement Chikwinya (Mbizo), Kucaca Phulu (Nkulumane), Sichelesile Mahlangu (Pumula), and Regai Tsunga (Mutasa South), who were all once PDP members.
That brought the number of recalled legislators since last year to 48.
Others were recalled by the Douglas Mwonzora-led MDC-T after they refused to back his formation and insisted they were members of the MDC Alliance party.
Mwonzora has been accused of working with Mnangagwa’s government to cripple the Nelson Chamisa-led opposition, which has refused to recognise the Zanu PF leader’s 2018 election victory.
Clifford Hlatywayo, the MDC Alliance spokesperson, said they will protest against alleged abuse of state institutions such as Parliament, courts and the police.
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“Right now people are mobilising each other for a citizen convergence for change,” Hlatywayo said.
“It’s about the people, not the looting elite in a dying party Zanu PF.
“Zanu PF can’t survive on its own without abusing state institutions, and in fact it’s non-existent.
“I challenge them face to face, no police, no soldiers, no courts, no state funds, no government inputs, no abusing of government ministries, no guns etc. They are dead.”
He said the recalling of opposition MPs was a continuation of the manipulation of the outcome of the 2018 elections.
“This regime is illegitimate, it crooked it’s way to the state house, using the Supreme Court, Zimbabwe Election Commission, military and other institutions of the state,” Hlatywayo said.
“It’s not the product of the people by the people, so whatever it does is not for the people.
“Making people suffer is a lubricant to this illegitimate regime.
“That’s why it’s illegally recalling the people’s representatives in councils and Parliament.”
He added: “But it’s plot has been exposed.
“The people are speaking and in the near future their voices will be louder.”
Mnangagwa’s government has in the past dealt ruthlessly with dissent, claiming that its rivals want to seize power illegally.
