News / National
'Plot to smuggle Welshman Ncube as GPA Principal', MDC responds
19 Jul 2011 at 13:43hrs | Views
MDC Statement on the Herald Story Entitled 'Plot to Smuggle Ncube As GPA Principal Exposed'
In the interests of correctly informing the public, the MDC hereby responds to the story published by The Herald today (19-07-11) entitled "Plot to Smuggle Ncube as GPA Principal Exposed" as follows:
1. There is absolutely no truth in the claim/allegation that the MDC has been involved or intends to be involved in any unity or coalition or electoral pact with the MDC-T. At no time has the MDC been involved in any talks or discussions with the MDCT on such a subject. This claim is a complete fabrication by The Herald.
2. It is also a complete fabrication that the MDC has been or is under any pressure from Western powers or any other quarter to go into any unity or coalition with the MDC-T. For the avoidance of doubt we place it on record that we have never been subjected to any pressure by any Western powers over the matter of unity or coalition with the MDC-T. We are masters of our destiny and every country which has ever held any discourse with us would know that we are not ones to be told what to do by any foreign power.
3. Equally false is the claim that the MDC President Prof. Welshman Ncube was due to have travelled to South Africa on Thursday last week and failed to do so. This claim is a complete fabrication. The MDC president was never scheduled to travel to South Africa last week and was not aware of any meeting in South Africa being held by the MDC-T officials.
4. Also false is the claim that the MDC-T President, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai suggested and has been pushing for the creation of a forum of Presidents of political parties after the Prime Minister felt "abandoned after he failed to foist his party's agenda on the Principals" at last week's meeting of so called Principals. The truth of the matter is that the MDC President and Secretary General, met President Mugabe five weeks ago and suggested to him the creation of the forum of Party leaders which would help prevent the collapse of co-operation among the three parties to the GPA arising out of President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai's insistence of retaining Prof. Mutambara as a Deputy Prime Minister and so called Principal with responsibility to make decisions over issues emanating from the political parties, such as the Election Road Map. President Mugabe indicated that he had no difficulty with the principle but suggested that the MDC should talk to Prime Minister Tsvangirai about it. The MDC President and Secretary General met PM Tsvangirai and made the suggestion to him. He also indicated that he had no problems with the principle and that he would discuss the issue with President Mugabe.
5. On Tuesday 12th July 2011, the President of the MDC and the Secretary General met President Mugabe and requested a feedback on what the outcome of the discussion with the Prime Minister on this issue was. President Mugabe advised them that he and PM Tsvangirai had met the previous day (Monday 11th July 2011) and had both agreed that they preferred to maintain the status quo and that they both preferred to wait for the court processes to run their course. The net effect of this was that they both preferred to continue to work with Prof Mutambara in their forums as the representative of the MDC, notwithstanding that the MDC does not recognize him and that it will never accept being bound by any decisions made in a forum where it is not represented by its leadership as elected at Congress. Plainly, therefore, it is a fabrication to claim that the suggestion of a forum of a Party Presidents was suggested and pushed for by P.M Tsvangirai.
6. All in all, The Herald story, in so far as it relates to the MDC, is a complete fabrication having no foundation in facts. It has been fabricated with malicious intent. We will be lodging a complaint with the Media Commission.
In the interests of correctly informing the public, the MDC hereby responds to the story published by The Herald today (19-07-11) entitled "Plot to Smuggle Ncube as GPA Principal Exposed" as follows:
1. There is absolutely no truth in the claim/allegation that the MDC has been involved or intends to be involved in any unity or coalition or electoral pact with the MDC-T. At no time has the MDC been involved in any talks or discussions with the MDCT on such a subject. This claim is a complete fabrication by The Herald.
2. It is also a complete fabrication that the MDC has been or is under any pressure from Western powers or any other quarter to go into any unity or coalition with the MDC-T. For the avoidance of doubt we place it on record that we have never been subjected to any pressure by any Western powers over the matter of unity or coalition with the MDC-T. We are masters of our destiny and every country which has ever held any discourse with us would know that we are not ones to be told what to do by any foreign power.
3. Equally false is the claim that the MDC President Prof. Welshman Ncube was due to have travelled to South Africa on Thursday last week and failed to do so. This claim is a complete fabrication. The MDC president was never scheduled to travel to South Africa last week and was not aware of any meeting in South Africa being held by the MDC-T officials.
4. Also false is the claim that the MDC-T President, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai suggested and has been pushing for the creation of a forum of Presidents of political parties after the Prime Minister felt "abandoned after he failed to foist his party's agenda on the Principals" at last week's meeting of so called Principals. The truth of the matter is that the MDC President and Secretary General, met President Mugabe five weeks ago and suggested to him the creation of the forum of Party leaders which would help prevent the collapse of co-operation among the three parties to the GPA arising out of President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai's insistence of retaining Prof. Mutambara as a Deputy Prime Minister and so called Principal with responsibility to make decisions over issues emanating from the political parties, such as the Election Road Map. President Mugabe indicated that he had no difficulty with the principle but suggested that the MDC should talk to Prime Minister Tsvangirai about it. The MDC President and Secretary General met PM Tsvangirai and made the suggestion to him. He also indicated that he had no problems with the principle and that he would discuss the issue with President Mugabe.
5. On Tuesday 12th July 2011, the President of the MDC and the Secretary General met President Mugabe and requested a feedback on what the outcome of the discussion with the Prime Minister on this issue was. President Mugabe advised them that he and PM Tsvangirai had met the previous day (Monday 11th July 2011) and had both agreed that they preferred to maintain the status quo and that they both preferred to wait for the court processes to run their course. The net effect of this was that they both preferred to continue to work with Prof Mutambara in their forums as the representative of the MDC, notwithstanding that the MDC does not recognize him and that it will never accept being bound by any decisions made in a forum where it is not represented by its leadership as elected at Congress. Plainly, therefore, it is a fabrication to claim that the suggestion of a forum of a Party Presidents was suggested and pushed for by P.M Tsvangirai.
6. All in all, The Herald story, in so far as it relates to the MDC, is a complete fabrication having no foundation in facts. It has been fabricated with malicious intent. We will be lodging a complaint with the Media Commission.
Source - Kuraone Chihwayi
