Mugabe must go says Tsvangirai

Movement for Democratic Change leader and Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Morgan Tsvangirai says President Robert Mugabe has failed to steer the country to prosperity and urged Zimbabweans to unite and vote him out in the next elections scheduled for 2013.

He said there was need for a third revolution to do away with African nationalist leaders who have failed to bring freedoms to their people despite getting rid of colonial masters.

Tsvangirai was addressing thousands of people at the memorial service of the late Zimbabwean nationalist and Zanu Ndonga leader Ndabaningi Sithole, an undisputed national hero who like many other liberation war heroes, was mistreated by the Mugabe's regime after independence.

Tsvangirai promised the people of Chipinge that Sithole's hero status will be recognised when his party gets into power.

The others who were ill-treated include the late vice president Joshua Nkomo, Dumiso Dabengwa, Edgar Tekere and James Chikerema among many others.

Tsvangirai was immediately endorsed by the Zanu Ndonga leaders who pledged their support to vote out Mugabe in the next elections.

The hugely attended ceremony was held at Sithole's Freedom Farm, 30km south of Chipinge town, in Mt Selinda.

Tsvangirai said the first revolution was fought to bring the country's independence and the current situation required another revolution.

The MDC leader said it was time citizens united for the common good and get rid of the current Zanu-PF leadership which had plundered the economy to a stage where Zimbabwe is now a basket case from being a bread basket of the region.

"Ndabaningi Sithole was like a father, he had a unique character and left a historical legacy. Today we are celebrating the legacy he left on the history of Zimbabwe," said Tsvangirai to a cheering bumper crowd.

"Independence and freedom are different. The nationalists brought independence but have failed to deliver on the promises. Instead the country has gone into reverse gear. To the nationalists, the people have become the enemies for demanding what they deserve which include their political freedom."

Tsvangirai said Mugabe's Zanu-PF had since independence in 1980, lacked vision to steer the country to possible prosperity. The MDC leader said if elected into power and fails to deliver, the people had the right to choose and elect another leader.

"Our people are hungry because of leadership that is afraid of leaving office and which has no vision. We also have some government officials that are careless and use intimidation to thwart winds of change," said Tsvangirai. He said any Zimbabwean had the capacity to lead the country if elected by the people in any election.

Zanu Ndonga national chairperson Reketayi Semwayo pledged his party would back Tsvangirai. He said Zanu Ndonga did not have a president but a national chairperson.

"I have to announce it today that as Zanu Ndonga, we will back Tsvangirai in the next election. We will work together for an end to Zanu-PF's continued hold onto power," said Semwayo whose party has had a long history of winning parliamentary seats in Chipinge District since independence.

Semwayo said Zanu Ndonga would throw its weight behind Tsvangirai and ensure he lands the top post he said he was robbed of in the 2008 harmonised elections.

Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole who was born in 1920 and died in 2000 is regarded as one of the fathers of nationalism and first leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union, Zanu.

One of the Sithole's surviving children, Sifiso Sithole who is based in Swaziland, said her father's vision was to have a free Zimbabwe for everyone.

"My father's vision was always engraved on having a free Zimbabwe. But it is sad because Zimbabwe is not yet free. He was a father and national leader whose dream was to have people live in peace which is not the case at the moment," said Sifiso Sithole calling on unity of purpose by all Zimbabweans.

Sithole paid tribute to the MDC leadership for arranging her travel and accommodation to the memorial service of her father who was denied national hero status by Mugabe.

Tsvangirai was accompanied to Sithole's memorial service by senior MDC officials among them the party's organising secretary Nelson Chamisa, party spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora, deputy national chairperson Morgan Komichi, deputy party treasurer Elton Mangoma among others.

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