Thomas Mapfumo is not a member of the MDC-T

Chimurenga music guru Thomas Mapfumo is not a member of the Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai so to allege that he has been roped in by the MDC in carrying out treasonous activities is the height of insanity and incredulity, MDC-T spokesman Obert Gutu said in a statement today.

Gutu dismissed a story in The Herald yesterday which claimed that MDC-T was working together with a faction of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front to force the next elections to be held next year instead of in 2018.

He dismissed claims that Mapfumo and Maxwell Zeb Shumba were at the fore-front of organising conventions to force the early poll.

“Last time we checked, the Chimurenga music guru, Thomas Mapfumo is not and has never been a member of the MDC. Thus, to allege that the MDC has roped in the celebrated and legendary musician in carrying out treasonous activities is the height of insanity and incredulity,” Gutu said.

“All the political and diplomatic activities that are carried out by the MDC are perfectly lawful, legitimate and totally above board. We have millions of supporters both within Zimbabwe and in the Diaspora. Why then should we reduce ourselves into becoming a renegade and virtual terrorist organisation such as the deeply factionalised ZAANU- PF? The MDC is the real deal; the only game in town.”

Gutu said Shumba was not an advisor to MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai.

“Maxwell Zeb Shumba is not an advisor to the MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai. As such, Shumba cannot be deemed to be acting on behalf of the MDC in whatever actions that he may be engaged. We reiterate that one Maxwell Shumba has got absolutely no mandate to act on behalf of both President Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC. Whatever Maxwell Shumba is doing he is certainly on a frolic of his own. He is neither an agent of President Morgan Tsvangirai nor of the MDC as a political party.”

Full statement:

Wednesday, 25 March 2015

 MDC advocates for peaceful and constitutional democratic change  

The Herald edition of Tuesday, March 24, 2015 carried a false, malicious and defamatory story captioned: ‘’MDC-T in plot to force early poll.’’ The said story was littered with factual inaccuracies, crude lies as well as highly defamatory allegations against the top leadership of the MDC. For the record, the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai is the largest and most popular political party in Zimbabwe. We are a lawful and legitimate political organisation that has got absolutely no reason to embark on any sinister, unlawful and unconstitutional activities aimed at unseating the deeply fractured, insipidly corrupt and massively unpopular Zanu PF regime.

For the record, the MDC is not working in cahoots with any of the numerous factions within the beleaguered and terminally fractured Zanu PF party. It is a notorious fact that there are at least two main factions within Zanu PF; the Gamatox faction and the Weevils faction. There are also other smaller factions such as the so – called ‘’Gang of Four’. Zanu PF is a sunset political formation that is faced by an inevitable and crushing collapse. The allegation that the MDC is planning protests to destabilise the country is palpably false, spurious, frivolous and utterly vexatious. This is a lame and sick allegation that could only have been concocted by small minds who feel insecure, guilty and ashamed of their own nefarious activities as agents of State – inspired terror. Such nebulous and weird allegations ought to be dismissed with the utter contempt that they deserve.

Last time we checked, the Chimurenga music guru, Thomas Mapfumo is not and has never been a member of the MDC. Thus, to allege that the MDC has roped in the celebrated and legendary musician in carrying out treasonous activities is the height of insanity and incredulity. All the political and diplomatic activities that are carried out by the MDC are perfectly lawful, legitimate and totally above board. We have millions of supporters both within Zimbabwe and in the Diaspora. Why then should we reduce ourselves into becoming a renegade and virtual terrorist organisation such as the deeply factionalised Zanu PF? The MDC is the real deal; the only game in town.

As a newspaper that is supposed to be a responsible family publication, the Herald should desist from publishing patently false and defamatory stories about the MDC in particular and also about all other people in general. Maxwell Zeb Shumba is not an advisor to the MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai. As such, Shumba cannot be deemed to be acting on behalf of the MDC in whatever actions that he may be engaged. We reiterate that one Maxwell Shumba has got absolutely no mandate to act on behalf of both President Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC. Whatever Maxwell Shumba is doing he is certainly on a frolic of his own. He is neither an agent of President Morgan Tsvangirai nor of the MDC as a political party.

The MDC will not be distracted from its primary responsibility and task of fighting for peaceful democratic change in Zimbabwe. The MDC democratic train will not stop simply because a dog has barked. Zimbabwe is at the cross – roads. The economy has virtually collapsed and millions of people are facing starvation mainly because of the disastrous agricultural policies that have been pursued by the beleaguered Zanu PF regime over the past few decades.

The downtrodden and toiling masses of Zimbabwe are desperately looking up to the MDC for their political and socio – economic salvation. We are not going to disappoint all these millions of people who are looking up to us to deliver them from the house of bondage into the land of milk and honey. Indeed, the MDC is seized with a generational challenge to deliver real and substantive democratic change to the long – suffering people of Zimbabwe.

MDC: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL

Obert Chaurura Gutu

National Spokesperson

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