News / Local
Welshman Ncube, key speaker at Zapu maiden rally
07 Jul 2013 at 13:43hrs | Views
ZAPU yesterday launched its July 31 election manifesto at Stanley Square in Bulawayo where MDC leader Welshman Ncube was a key speaker.
MDC and Zapu on Friday sealed an election pact that will see the two parties helping each other during the harmonised polls.
Zapu president Dumiso Dabengwa said his party was ready to take over power and the forthcoming polls provided a perfect platform.
"Since our revival, the so-called political commentators and the media have tried to discount us," he said. "Even Baba Jukwa [a faceless Facebook character] is saying we are 1%," he said.
"We are here to launch our manifesto. Zapu is there to fight for people's will, which means under Zapu people must not be afraid to express concern in local authorities and government."
ccording to what was agreed on, Zapu will support and vote for MDC candidates in constituencies where Zapu has no candidates and the same with the MDC.
Dabengwa said Tsvangirai and Simba Makoni are welcome to join the alliance.
"If there are some who want to join us, they are free to do so. For instance MDC- T and Mavambo/Kusile/ Dawn are welcome if they want to join us," he said.
But Dabengwa revealed that he would not withdraw from the presidential race to support Ncube's candidature.
"People did not want me to step down even though I wanted to do so," he said.
"So we agreed with MDC that whenever one of us wins and does not have an outright win prompting a runoff, the party of the one who lost will back the winner."
He said Zapu had 40 parliamentary candidates in the southern region and six in the northern region.
On the other hand, MDC has about 200 parliamentary candidates across the country and this means that Zapu will back over 100 MDC candidates in the elections.
Ncube told the same gathering that his party shared the same values and principles with Zapu such as devolution.
MDC and Zapu on Friday sealed an election pact that will see the two parties helping each other during the harmonised polls.
Zapu president Dumiso Dabengwa said his party was ready to take over power and the forthcoming polls provided a perfect platform.
"Since our revival, the so-called political commentators and the media have tried to discount us," he said. "Even Baba Jukwa [a faceless Facebook character] is saying we are 1%," he said.
"We are here to launch our manifesto. Zapu is there to fight for people's will, which means under Zapu people must not be afraid to express concern in local authorities and government."
ccording to what was agreed on, Zapu will support and vote for MDC candidates in constituencies where Zapu has no candidates and the same with the MDC.
Dabengwa said Tsvangirai and Simba Makoni are welcome to join the alliance.
"If there are some who want to join us, they are free to do so. For instance MDC- T and Mavambo/Kusile/ Dawn are welcome if they want to join us," he said.
But Dabengwa revealed that he would not withdraw from the presidential race to support Ncube's candidature.
"People did not want me to step down even though I wanted to do so," he said.
"So we agreed with MDC that whenever one of us wins and does not have an outright win prompting a runoff, the party of the one who lost will back the winner."
He said Zapu had 40 parliamentary candidates in the southern region and six in the northern region.
On the other hand, MDC has about 200 parliamentary candidates across the country and this means that Zapu will back over 100 MDC candidates in the elections.
Ncube told the same gathering that his party shared the same values and principles with Zapu such as devolution.
Source - standard
