MDC Alliance told to stop tarnishing Zimbabwe's image

THE MDC Alliance should stop tarnishing the image of the country and call for the removal of sanctions if they love Zimbabwe and have the people's interest at heart, Deputy Minister of Defence and War Veterans' Affairs Victor Matemadanda has said.

Speaking during a meeting with war veterans in Bulawayo on Wednesday, Matemadanda said the country was under siege due to misdirected energy by opposition parties and their allies.

"Anyone who loves Zimbabwe should call for the removal of sanctions that were imposed on the country. We all know that our economic situation is not good but let's give the country a chance to develop economically.

"MDC people are travelling all over the world calling for the extension of sanctions while people who liberated this country are languishing in poverty due to these illegal sanctions. They don't care," said Matemadanda.

He said when they go to Parliament opposition legislators ask him what the Government is doing to improve the welfare of war veterans yet they know there's nothing that can be done because they called for sanctions.

"If the MDC is sincere and wants people to be empowered and free from poverty they should ask Britain and America to remove sanctions now. These sanctions are making the ordinary people suffer.  

"The MDC is not fighting the President but the ordinary people in this country. It's sad that countries such as the USA are supporting the MDC in destroying the country. Even former President Robert Mugabe is funding this nonsense and it's unfair to the people," said Matemadanda.

He said Zimbabwe does not belong to any party but to everybody in the country and condemned people who were making false reports against soldiers and police officers.

"Now people are being ordered to lie that they were sexually abused by soldiers and policemen. They forget that they have relatives in the diaspora who will be viewed as rapists and untrustworthy. It's embarrassing to lie about people who protect us.

"Those who are applying for visas to travel to other countries now have to be checked if they were not accused for rape at some point because these countries have been made to believe that Zimbabwean men are rapists.  

"This is all because of some people's political egos. We all know this is not true and it's bad. If anyone wants to lead this country, they should have respect for every citizen wherever they are," said Matemadanda.

He added that Zimbabweans voted in the harmonised elections and Zanu-PF got the majority while MDC Alliance got the minority votes but surprisingly the opposition party did not want to accept the results.  

"Even after going to the Constitutional Court, the MDC still disputes the court ruling. Instead of concentrating on development the MDC chooses to waste our time.

"If all this energy was being directed to the development of the country and the turning around of the economy we would be far as a country," said Matemadanda.

He said instead of funding opposition parties Mr Mugabe should compensate Gukurahundi victims before he dies.

"Mugabe thinks we've forgotten that he killed people in the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces. He should be accountable for his sins before he dies.

"He has many cattle that he can use to compensate families that were affected by Gukurahundi," said Matemadanda.