Welshman Ncube castigates Bulawayo city fathers

THE leader of the MDC, Professor Welshman Ncube has castigated Bulawayo city fathers for mortgaging the City Hall and Tower Block which they could lose after failing to service loans.

The Bulawayo City Council could lose the two landmark buildings after they were used as collateral for vehicle loans for senior council managers with Kingdom Bank.

Addressing members of his party at a rally in Sizinda, the MDC president said the conduct of the city council, dominated by councillors from the MDC-T, showed that voters should not resort to protest voting.

"The question is who do we try now because there are a number of them you have tried and they have failed. You voted for them but now they went and borrowed $5 million as loans, which they are now failing to pay back and now want to sell Bulawayo.

"Would you say that is an alternative Government, honestly you cannot experiment with such people simply because you hate Mugabe. This is like somebody who is drowning and sees a serpent and asks it to save him."

Prof Ncube said the country had abundant resources but had no proper leadership to utilise the resources for the benefit of the general public.

He said his party was ready for elections but said there should be implementation of the Global Political Agreement Roadmap before elections are held.

"Zimbabwe is the richest country in the world with our rich mineral deposits like platinum, diamonds which contribute about 25 percent of the world's deposits, we are second to South Africa in terms of gold deposits, we have the best land, vegetation and education. Manje kuswelakalani?

"We have everything needed to succeed but we do not have leadership. The failure of Zimbabwe is failure of leadership. We have no leadership to lead us to build the country," said Prof Ncube.

He said his party was ready for elections.

"We cannot have elections before the roadmap is implemented. First there should be free media and freedom and once that happens we can have elections even next week," said Prof Ncube.

The party's chairperson for the women's league, Mrs Thandiwe Mlilo, likened the people of Matabeleland them to pigs and dogs that were second citizens to their masters.

She said people of Matabeleland were comfortable with being deputies in any higher leadership position and that put them in a sorry state.

"When I see a pig I feel pity for it, when I see a dog I feel for it and when I see a Ndebele person I feel sorry for him too. Does being Ndebele mean being deputy. A dog does not get into the house but waits for visitors outside and even if you bathe a pig it will remain a pig," said Mrs Mlilo.

"Today we are here to wash you Ndebele people and put a necktie on you. I come from a place where I always hear people from Harare saying Ndebeles are a minority, you are not a minority, so why do you want to vote for Shonas?

"Even here in Sizinda you now take your nephews who are not Ndebele and say they should vote for Shonas because you want them to be deputies on your behalf. Are you bewitched, if you are hambani liyehlanziswa, why are you always visitors in your own area? Maybe you can tell me where it is written that being Ndebele means deputy."

The party's national treasurer, Mr Paul Themba Nyathi labelled MDC-T leader, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai a son-in-law of Zanu-PF, saying his recent engagement to Ms Elizabeth Macheka meant he was apologetic to Zanu-PF.