MDC-T Says Will Not Pursue Quarrelsomee Army Chefs

MDC-T national spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora told a media briefing soon after a party national executive committee meeting Friday that the former opposition party would not abandon fighting for the betterment of the masses to settle scores with quarrelsome military bosses.

“We are aware of elements within Zanu PF who are trying to set up the MDC against the army,” Mwonzora said.

“Our fight is not a fight against the army but it is a fight against those who are bent on subverting the will of the people of Zimbabwe. The party reaffirms that it has no intention when it comes to power to victimise any law abiding citizen including members of the military.”

The MDC-T resolution follows Defence Minister and Zanu PF loyalist Emmerson Mnangagwa’s threats last week to unleash the country’s feared army chiefs on Finance Minister Tendai Biti.

This was after the MDC secretary general had resisted a Zanu PF orchestrated recruitment of an additional 5 000 soldiers, a move that would chew an additional $2, 5 million from the country’s coffers.

The MDC-T further urged the police not to be used against the ordinary people by Zanu PF.

Meanwhile, the MDC-T has threatened “severe” punishment on its top officials who found to have fanned intra-party violence ahead of its elective congress May last year.

Mwonzora said the report by the party’s Commission of Enquiry into the violence linked some of the causes to infiltration by state agents and Zanu PF elements.

“The party resolved that all MDC members and officials who were implicated in violence should be brought before the National Disciplinary Committee without regard to their status within the party,” Mwonzora said.

The Nyanga North legislator however refused to name the culprits before they were formally charged within the party.

Ugly scenes of violence marred the run up to the MDC-T congress where the affected provinces experienced worst forms of intra-party skirmishes with party women’s affairs secretary and co-Home Affairs Minister Theresa Makone being among those implicated.

But despite evident hostilities that dominated the party’s internal elective process, the MDC-T says it will not reverse the election of any party official who ascended to any top party structures amid the violence.