Tsvangirai on last leg of campaign tour

Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai will embark on the last leg of his campaign tour tomorrow with rallies in Chegutu and Chinhoyi in Mashonaland West.

He will be at Chibuku Stadium in Chitungwiza on Sunday and will end his campaign on Monday at Freedom Square opposite the Harare Show Grounds.

Monday’s rally has been dubbed the “Cross Over Rally”.

The elections are due on Wednesday which has been declared public holiday.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission promised to release the results by 5 August.

Presidential election results were released after almost six weeks in 2008 casting doubts about their authenticity.

Any delay this time would be construed as rigging.

Tsvangirai’s rallies in the MDC’s words.

President Tsvangirai embarks on last stretch victory rallies

President Tsvangirai’s will on Saturday embark the last stretch of his victory rallies by addressing two rallies in Chegutu and Chinhoyi all in Mashonaland West provinces where thousands of party supporters are expected to attend.

President Tsvangirai’s victory rallies have been attracting thousands of party supporters across the country as the MDC drums up its support base to come out in their numbers on 31 July and vote for change and real transformation.

After the Mashonaland West rallies tomorrow, President Tsvangirai will be at Chibuku Stadium in Chitungwiza on Sunday where thousands of party supporters are expected to throng the stadium.

The weekend rallies are a culmination of the last MDC rally to be held on Monday before the 31 July harmonised elections.

The 29 July rally has been dubbed the “Cross Over Rally”, as it is a clear indication that the MDC will win Wednesday’s elections and is ready to form the next government that will improve the lives of the people of Zimbabwe.

The “Cross Over Rally” will be held at the Freedom Square, which is sited opposite the Harare Show Grounds.

Addressing a press conference at the MDC headquarters in Harare today, President Tsvangirai said the MDC was humbled by the overwhelming show of support shown by the people of Zimbabwe by attending its rallies especially in the rural areas where they were facing intimidation and harassments from the Zanu PF militia.

“We are humbled by this overwhelming show of support,” President Tsvangirai said at the media briefing today.

“I urge all Zimbabweans to join me on July 31 in the queue for change. They will try to delay things and frustrate us but let us go early; let us sleep overnight at the polling stations; let us remain in the queues until we cast our historic votes.

“But we have immense belief in the people of Zimbabwe. I have travelled to many corners of this country and I have seen for myself the palable desire for change. I have spoken to the old and the young and they have all assured me that come July 31 they will be stepping up and voting for progress and MDC-T represents progress,” he said.

I have traversed the country during our campaign trail and I have seen cases of intimidation particularly in the Mashonaland provinces. In Mvurwi, the venue for our rally was occupied by Zanu PF youths who purportedly were playing a football match, notwithstanding that we had booked the venue for our rally.

However, he raised serious concerns over the intimidation of party members especially in the rural communities by some traditional leaders and Zanu PF supporters.

“In other areas, we found Zanu PF supporters distributing their party regalia at our venues. In Mudzi, Zanu PF supporters distributing party regalia were taking down the names of the recipients. We have told the people of Zimbabwe who are forcibly given the Zanu PF regalia to just take it so that we maintain peace and their security.

“We have said to our supporters, it is very cold this winter, please take the yellow and green T-shirts when offered and wear them for protection both from the cold and threat to your security but remember that on polling day it is not the regalia but your heart that votes. We believe that when polling day comes, with the privacy of their vote guaranteed, they will be able to vote freely for candidates of their choice, their forced regalia notwithstanding,” said President Tsvangirai.

(12 VIEWS)