Posted on 05/12/2003 5:53:58 AM PDT by Clive
THE MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai says his party is mobilising its structures for the "final push" in the struggle for the removal of Zanu PF and the establishment of democratic governance in the country.
At a separate rally in Harare, other MDC leaders called on the residents to brace for a mass demonstration against Ignatius Chombo, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, to force him to quash his decision to suspend Harare Executive Mayor, Elias Mudzuri.
Addressing an estimated 20,000 people who thronged the White City Stadium in Bulawayo, Tsvangirai said the party would soon announce a date for mass action against the government, which he said will take the form of street protests.
"For the past three years Zimbabweans have made many sacrifices in the fight for democracy. Some have been killed, others have been arrested or imprisoned. The time has come for everyone, including the suffering Zanu PF members, to get ready to make the final push and finish this business. When we call on you to come out, everyone, except for the sick and elderly, should come out and take for the streets," said Tsvangirai, to deafening applause from the crowd.
He said the MDC would not fail to govern the country because they had a record through their Members of Parliament and executive mayors who were governing several cities.
Although he did not give an exact date for the mass action, Tsvangirai's deputy, Gibson Sibanda, said the action was "just round the corner".
The statement was reinforced by the party's secretary-general Professor Welshman Ncube, who said the MDC was aware that "democracy could not be achieved by just sitting at home".
On the inter-party talks pushed by Presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Bakili Muluzi of Malawi and Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Tsvangirai said the party would not back down and withdraw the court challenge against the legitimacy of Mugabe's victory and recognise him as head of State.
Said Tsvangirai: "Mugabe is saying that we should recognise him as president and withdraw our petition before he talks to us. We will not do that. Our position is that the talks should be unconditional and we communicated that to the three Presidents.
"This country is going through the most difficult times because of Mugabe and his cronies, we cannot allow him to dictate any conditions for talks, if there are going to be any talks at all. The Lancaster House negotiations that brought independence would not have succeeded if Ian Smith had been allowed to set conditions. They were held while war, which was the only pressure Smith understood, continued. That is what we are going to do. We will not shoot anyone but use the power of the people to effect change," said Tsvangirai.
Meanwhile, addressing about 8,000 residents in Budiriro, Harare, Job Sikhala, the St Mary's MP said people must turn out in their thousands to support Mudzuri.
"Business must grind to a halt when the decision to fight Chombo's interference into the affairs of the Harare City Council by suspending Mudzuri is announced," Sikhala said.
He said Chombo was only an individual without the power to force Mudzuri out of his office as if he elected him.
"Mudzuri was suspended because his performance underscored what the MDC-led government would do when elected into power and he was performing well where successive Zanu PF-led councils failed," Sikhala said.
"You must know that Mugabe cannot contain the anger residents have about Mudzuri's suspension."
Mudzuri told the gathering that he would quit if they decided that he did not measure up to the task.
"If residents do not want what I am doing as their mayor, I can leave council," he said. "The churches, residents, business and industry must come up with their committee to pass a verdict on my performance as mayor.
"The police have chased me away from meetings intended to discuss problems such as the refuse collection system and the water crisis, but they have escorted Chipangano, the Zanu PF vigilante group into town, to demonstrate against me."
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