Tsvangirai's MDC-T calls for immediate dissolution of govt

The MDC-T shadow cabinet that met today in Harare expressed concern over a continuing economic downslide, rising unemployment and worsening company closures and called for the immediate dissolution of the Zanu-PF government.

The shadow ministers said it was dismayed with the current collapse of governance, lack of leadership, collapsing industry and "man-made poverty".

"Over the past few months, companies have been closing, laying off thousands of workers, leaving families in circumstances of destitution," said Nelson Chamisa, the communications shadow minister, in a statement.

The oversight cabinet said it was alarmed by government and parliament's failure to align laws with the new constitution adopted last year after a referendum.

"It is exactly 11 months after the Zanu-PF government manipulated the will of the people on the 31st of July 2013 yet there is no tangible evidence of both political will and capacity to allow the laws of the country to be in line with the spirit and letter of the constitution.

"More importantly, the Zanu-PF government is not even willing to consummate the dictates of certain constitutional provisions. In particular, the issue of devolution; entrenchment of the human rights culture and accountability in institutions of the state have not been implemented," said Chamisa.

The shadow cabinet also rejected the recent adoption of the Electoral Amendment Bill without input from the public, saying it confirmed Zanu-PF's manipulation of national institutions for partisan interests.

It called for "comprehensive electoral reforms to permanently address the perennial problem of the rigging of elections and disputed election results".

The alternative cabinet rapped Zanu-PF cabinet ministers for contradicting each on the indigenisation policy, which government recently said would ne toned down as a way of luring investors.

"This lack of clarity has undermined investor and citizen confidence, with very dire effects on the economy," said Chamisa who added that his party preferred broad-based economic development based on value addition to natural resources, community infrastructure support and skills transfers.

Chamisa said his party favoured building a modern, healthy state with a vibrant, socially just green economy that takes pride at leaving no one behind".

He added that the economic blueprint, ZimAsset, had failed and was being used as a propaganda strategy by Zanu-PF, and urged Zimbabweans to adopt MDC's Agenda for Real Transformation (ART) as the only option.

The party launched ART ahead of last year's general elections which it says Zanu-PF rigged.

The shadow cabinet also bemoaned growing corruption in Zanu-PF, singling out the recent appointment of Goodwills Masimirembwa as the chair of CMED, a government transport unit.

Masimirembwa was chairperson of the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) that had been dogged by controversy over its failure to supervise diamond mining at Marange.

"Zanu-PF seems to be suffering from either a crisis of manpower or a perennial disease of recycling deadwood. As if that is not enough, the land allocation system has been dogged by accusations and counter accusations of corruption by top Zanu PF functionaries. Clearly, corruption seems to be second nature to the Zanu PF administration," said Chamisa.

He took a swipe at President Robert Mugabe for publicly attacking Information Minister, Jonathan Moyo, at the recent burial of a party stalwart, Nathan Shamuyarira, and criticising editors for not towing the Zanu-PF line.

MDC criticised government for failing to adequately remunerate civil servants, whose pay dates keep shifting.

"Therefore, the Alternative Cabinet calls for the immediate dissolution and disbandment of the Zanu-PF government to pave way for the resolution of the political and economic crisis through free and fair election conducted under a fresh dispensation of comprehensive and all inclusive electoral reforms," said Chamisa.