Thursday, 05 April 2018
President Adv. Nelson Chamisa's remarks to the press
Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House, Harare
1. Introduction
Almost two months after the untimely death of the national legend and founding leader, the iconic President Morgan Richard Tsvangirai. Notwithstanding the sad loss of our leader, whom the country continues to mourn to this very day, the party remains a strong and formidable unit ready for the watershed polls due in a few months time.
We are a solid family of democrats that is growing stronger every day. Our footprints in all that we do have shown that we are sticklers to constitutionalism and the rule of law. We are the game changers, the movers and shifters.
As a party, we are proud social democrats that eschew the values of empathy, solidarity, tolerance, freedom and justice.
On the national scale, I remain touched by the people’s sorry predicament. The cash shortages persist and citizens are finding it hard to access their hard-earned cash. Unemployment continues to be a huge challenge while the few that are employed are finding it hard to survive due to inadequate remuneration.
Civil servants, including our hard working doctors and nurses are struggling to survive. The paltry salaries of just over $300 do not befit the dignity and status of civil servants who expend sweat and tears to keep our country running.
The national crisis is crying out for a new government that will truly respond to the needs of the people.
2. Redefining the narrative—April is Independence month
Indeed, we are a proud pan-African political formation whose broad mandate is to complete the unfinished business of the liberation of struggle.
It is in line with our character as a proud-African movement and pan-liberation movement that we have declared April the independence month.
For us, as a day is not enough to accord the befitting veneration to our liberation struggle in which so many of our patriotic sons and daughters paid the ultimate price.
April is therefore an independence month in which we will take part in many activities to celebrate our liberation struggle; the bloody and intractable struggle in which we shed blood to rid the country of oppression, subjugation and racism.
It is in line with that redefinition and rebranding that as a party, we will seek to play a prominent role in all national events including the country’s national Independence Day activities.
National days must be inclusive and must not continue to be arrogated or dominated by a single political party. It is demeaning of our independence to ascribe it to the sole efforts of a political party. It was a struggle by all Zimbabweans that must be celebrated by all.
As I have already said, under our leadership, we will set aside the whole month of April—and not just a single day—to the celebration of our uhuru. April will indeed be an Independence month.
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