News / National
Tsvangirai blames Mugabe for #ThisFlag, #Tajamuka
15 Jul 2016 at 12:04hrs | Views
HARARE - THE Movement for Democratic Change (T) president Morgan Tsvangirai has blamed president Robert Mugabe for the recent mass protests saying he (Mugabe) should clean up the country's mess or else citizens will "take matters into their hands".
"I am giving President Mugabe an opportunity to soft land the national crisis. He will have only have himself to blame if citizens take matters in their own hands. The ball in his court. I urge SADC and the AU to provide wise counsel to him. The ball is now in his court," Tsvangirai said in a statement gleaned by ZimNet.
The former premier was speaking to the media for the first time following his cancer ailment last month. Tsvangirai said his party believed that problems bedevilling the country require a "political solution" beyond just protesting, apparently referring to the recent mass protests inspired by #ThisFlag and #Tajamuka/Ses'jikile movements.
"After our deliberations on the national crisis yesterday, the national council resolved that there has to be a political settlement that inspires confidence nationally, regionally and internationally," Tsvangirai said.
"To this end, the national council, the party's supreme decision-making body in between Congresses, resolved that the way forward is a multi-partisan National Transitional Authority."
He added: "Indeed, we heartily welcome them to the struggle, which I assure you will never be a crowded arena. At our meetings yesterday, the MDC executive organs welcomed the national convergence that is emerging in our troubled country where all players are now agreed that the way forward is to put pressure on this illegitimate regime. We have indeed become a big tent of patriotic Zimbabweans singing the same chorus from different social stations. That should be commended."
Tsvangirai further urged Zimbabweans to pile pressure on the Zanu PF administration to either step down or reform.
"It is in this context that I want to laud Pastor Evan Mawarire, the Tajamuka pressure group and the ordinary citizens of this country in Beitbridge and elsewhere who continue to send a loud message to this regime that the nation is now fed up. Our colleagues in the struggle need to be lauded and commended for their positive effort.
"….However, beyond protests and demonstrations, there is need for leadership and the sculpting of a coherent, durable plan which we hereby lay on the table as a party. We have no other country except Zimbabwe. We urge all Zimbabweans to rally together in demanding a better deal for us as citizens than our current sorry plight."
"I am giving President Mugabe an opportunity to soft land the national crisis. He will have only have himself to blame if citizens take matters in their own hands. The ball in his court. I urge SADC and the AU to provide wise counsel to him. The ball is now in his court," Tsvangirai said in a statement gleaned by ZimNet.
The former premier was speaking to the media for the first time following his cancer ailment last month. Tsvangirai said his party believed that problems bedevilling the country require a "political solution" beyond just protesting, apparently referring to the recent mass protests inspired by #ThisFlag and #Tajamuka/Ses'jikile movements.
"After our deliberations on the national crisis yesterday, the national council resolved that there has to be a political settlement that inspires confidence nationally, regionally and internationally," Tsvangirai said.
He added: "Indeed, we heartily welcome them to the struggle, which I assure you will never be a crowded arena. At our meetings yesterday, the MDC executive organs welcomed the national convergence that is emerging in our troubled country where all players are now agreed that the way forward is to put pressure on this illegitimate regime. We have indeed become a big tent of patriotic Zimbabweans singing the same chorus from different social stations. That should be commended."
Tsvangirai further urged Zimbabweans to pile pressure on the Zanu PF administration to either step down or reform.
"It is in this context that I want to laud Pastor Evan Mawarire, the Tajamuka pressure group and the ordinary citizens of this country in Beitbridge and elsewhere who continue to send a loud message to this regime that the nation is now fed up. Our colleagues in the struggle need to be lauded and commended for their positive effort.
"….However, beyond protests and demonstrations, there is need for leadership and the sculpting of a coherent, durable plan which we hereby lay on the table as a party. We have no other country except Zimbabwe. We urge all Zimbabweans to rally together in demanding a better deal for us as citizens than our current sorry plight."
Source - ZimNet
