Zimbabwe’s former Education Minister David Coltart has described Movement for Democratic Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa as the only competent person who realistically stands between the ongoing de facto military rule and a new dawn for Zimbabwe.
Coltart, who accompanied Chamisa and People’s Democratic Party leader Tendai Biti to the United Kingdom, said Chamisa has his faults indeed but none of us is perfect.
“At this moment in our history,” he said, “we cannot let perfection be the enemy of the good.”
He said that it must be remembered that Mnangagwa has been in office for 38 years and Chamisa was only two years when Zimbabwe attained its independence.
“It is important to remember that Nelson Chamisa has known nothing else other than the crazy political environment which has existed in this country since he entered politics in September 1999.,” Coltart said.
“Ever since he was 3 years old Mnangagwa has held some type of office, during which time Zimbabwe has been plundered and devastated.
“He has been detained, beaten up and left for dead at Harare airport. He has had leadership thrust on him by his own National Executive following the untimely death of Morgan Tsvangirai, who clearly demonstrated his own faith in him before his death.
“The amount of abuse being directed his way shows how much of a threat he poses to a de facto military regime which has a long and bloody history of murdering, torturing and brutalising its opponents,” Coltart said.
“Despite all of this he is bravely campaigning and at the core of his message is non-violence. He is the only leader campaigning country wide at present drawing thousands of people to his rallies in both rural and urban areas.
“Of course Nelson Chamisa has faults. All of us do. Of course he has made mistakes in some of his pronouncements – all of us have done so in our own political careers. None of (us) is perfect – but at this moment in our history we cannot let perfection be the enemy of the good.
“Notwithstanding these human flaws and the quality of some of the other presidential candidates, Chamisa is the only competent person who realistically stands between ongoing de facto military rule and a new dawn for Zimbabwe. Everything else is simply pie in the sky. That is the harsh reality all those who dream of a new vibrant, tolerant and free Zimbabwe need to confront.”
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