MDC in Bay wants ANC to ‘liberate’ Zim

ZIMBABWE’S official opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, is pinning its hopes on the ANC to “liberate” the country from Robert Mugabe.

The Port Elizabeth branch of the MDC started its campaign at the weekend for the 2018 general election.

MDC Bay regional chairman Rodrick Chimombe said they were going to ask the ANC to liberate Zimbabwe as the ruling party did in South Africa.

“In South Africa we will engage the ANC as a liberation movement. The ANC here listens to people, unlike Zanu-PF in Zimbabwe.”

He said they were hoping to emulate what the ANC did by liberating their country outside its borders.

“We will be saying to the ANC, ‘help us in getting the regime out’. All spheres of people in South Africa work together. If you look at South Africa, there were liberation movements that liberated the country from other countries,” he said.

Despite the MDC in Zimbabwe accepting the results of this year’s elections, Chimombe said they believed Zimbabwe was not a democratic country.

“Government in Zimbabwe is not accountable and is not the government of the people. Every taxpayer needs accountability. The people have to govern and the MDC is a pro-poor party.”

There are an estimated 2.6-million people from Zimbabwe living in South Africa.

“If Zimbabwe is a free country, then they should allow people here to vote,” Chimombe said.

He said they would go to every house owned by a Zimbabwean national in South Africa and use social networking sites to campaign.

“There are so many challenges facing Zimbabwe and the people are scattered around the world. We are starting to campaign as of now. We will engage every Zimbabwean wherever they are.” He said change was imminent in Zimbabwe. “But it needs everyone’s effort. To my understanding the people of Zimbabwe want to go back home but they cannot because of the repressive system in the country.”

ANC regional secretary Zandisile Qupe said they would not entertain an idea of ousting Mugabe.

“The only thing we can do as the ANC is to listen to the people of Zimbabwe residing in our country and especially in Nelson Mandela Bay, on their issues.

“As the ANC we will not be part of a formation of a party that lost elections,” Qupe said.