MDC Protests Against Governors, Turns Parly Into Choir Room

The MDC senators sang songs and slogans denouncing provincial governors, who sat in pensive mood.

The senators started singing and chanting just when Senate President Edna Madzongwe attempted to announce the orders of the day in the Senate chambers.

Senator Morgan Komichi, Gladys Dube and Obert Gutu led the MDC parliamentarians in songs whose lyrics went like “Takahwina kuMatabeleland, Manicaland, kuMasvingo Governor ndewedu. Senate yaramba zvemadhisinyongoro…Governor hamba.” (We won in Matabeleland, Manicaland and the Masvingo governorship belongs to MDC. Senate rejects confusion…go away governor).

President Robert Mugabe reappointed provincial governors in October for another two year term to serve in the same regions they served in the last term despite reaching an agreement with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to share the regional appointments. Under an agreement reached between Mugabe, Tsvangirai and his deputy Arthur Mutambara, the Prime Minister’s party was supposed to nominate five governors for appointment while Mugabe’s Zanu (PF)F party was supposed to appoint four nominees and Mutambara’s smaller MDC party would get one post.

Tsvangirai has since challenged the reappointment together with the reassignment of ambassadors in foreign missions.

Dube, the MDC chief whip in Senate, told Radio VOP that the senators’ actions were in protest against the unilateral appointments of Governors by President Robert Mugabe and would continue until such a time when the appointments are reversed.

“As the MDC we are not happy with the unilateral appointments of the governors by President Mugabe. We are not going to recognise them,” said Dube.

Meanwhile in Masvingo the MDC party under Tsvangirai boycotted the burial of a provincial hero, Liet Col Isiah Takavingofa to protest against the appointment of governors.

Takavingofa, who died aged 56, was buried at the Masvingo Heroes Acre before a small crowd.

Masvingo Provincial Governor and Resident Minister Titus Maluleke was officiating at the event.

MDC-T provincial youth chairman, Tongai Matutu, who is the Masvingo Urban legislator, said the party stood by its resolution not to attend state functions officiated by ‘intruders in the house’.

“We still stand by our word as a party. We do not recognise the governors who were re-appointed by President Mugabe. We had our candidates who were in waiting.

“I will not attend any function where the Governor is officiating because I no longer recognise him. As far as the Global Political Agreement (GPA) is concerned, Maluleke’s term of office has expired,” said Matutu, who is also the Deputy Minister of Youth, Indeginisation and Empowerment.

‘The MDC-T is an opposition party. Zanu (PF) is the future, and the future is Zanu (PF),” said Maluleke, who was flanked by the party’s junta.