Chiwenga urges Chamisa to outgrow student politics

Published: 25 July 2018

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has warned MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa against causing anarchy in the country, saying he should desist from student activism type of politics and focus on ensuring that the elections on Monday next week are conducted in a peaceful environment. He said Mr Chamisa should also stop purporting to be speaking on behalf of all the opposition parties that included the 23 Presidential candidates.

Chiwenga was addressing hundreds of Zanu-PF supporters at Whitecliff Farm in Zvimba district on Monday during a campaign rally aimed at drumming up support for the revolutionary party.

Mr Chamisa has been threatening to disrupt the elections if his demands are not met by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

He has also threatened to unleash violence on Zimbabweans if he loses his presidential bid. This is despite advice he has been getting from both local and international election observers and fellow candidates to approach the courts if he feels aggrieved.

"We have 23 presidential candidates," said Chiwenga. "We now see others are now afraid.

They ran a 21-kilometre race as if they were running a 100-metre race, they have now capitulated.

"They now say they want to direct Harare to disrupt everything, they want to stop ZEC from conducting elections the same way they used to do at the university. Are you now the representative of all the political parties? You should respect the will of the people and if you lose the election accept it and say chero ndasara ndirimupenyu.

"You need not to cause anarchy in the country. If you insult a woman you would have also done the same to your mother. ZEC is an independent body. The executive has nothing to do with its operations. It is a commission put into being by Parliament through the Constitution of Zimbabwe. They are not subjected to any directive other than the Electoral Act and the Constitution."

Chiwenga said the time of student activism and demonstrations where property was damaged was over. He said those granted loans should repay them and not repeat what happened during Mr Saviour Kasukuwere's tenure as Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, when a culture of defaulting.

"You will get loans to do projects from the Empowerment Bank for youths and Women Microfinance Bank and return the money where you would have borrowed after selling your products," he said.

"Hatidi avo vanozoita sezvenguva yaanaKasukuwere, wapiwa mari kwakaenda tsuro nembwa nemiseve, hatidaro hatingavaki Zimbabwe, we want people who are honest, who are not corrupt." Chiwenga said Government would not tolerate corruption and offenders would be imprisoned.
- the herald