MDC-T dismisses Zanu-PF monitors

ZANU-PF's decision to deploy its senior party members to monitor the performance of MDC-T legislators in Matabeleland North is a waste of time, the opposition party has said.

The Zanu-PF Matabeleland North leadership resolved to monitor the implementation of government programmes in MDC-T-led constituencies citing fears of sabotage after a two-day induction workshop held in Bulawayo.

Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs minister Cain Mathema was deployed to Binga North where the MDC-T's Prince Dubeko Sibanda is MP, Mail Nkomo to Binga South (Joel Gabbuza), former governor and senator Thokozile Mathuthu to Hwange Central (Brian Tshuma), Molly Mkandla to Hwange East (Tose Sansole) Sikhanyisiwe Mpofu, wife of Transport minister Obert Mpofu, to Tsholotsho North (Roselyn Nkomo) while Senator Madeline Bhebhe was deployed to Nkayi South (Abednico Bhebhe).

MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora yesterday described the move as futile noting that the party's legislators had no business worrying about implementing "dead Zanu-PF programmes".

"The MDC-T MPs are not there to implement Zanu-PF programmes, but implement MDC-T programmes.

"For that reason, Zanu-PF must never expect our MPs to agree with their dead programmes," said Mwonzora.

"Further, we know that Zanu-PF wants to disturb the MDC-T MPs, but we are happy that they will never succeed in Matabeleland. What they are planning to do is just, but a wild goose chase and a waste of time and resources."

Zanu-PF Matabeleland North chairperson Richard Moyo defended the exercise as necessary to ensure government programmes such as Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZimAsset) were implemented to the "letter and spirit".

Moyo said the party's provincial leadership took the initiative on realising that the MDC-T legislators would not be able to clarify government programmes like
ZimAsset to their constituencies, which might cause Zanu-PF to lose votes in upcoming elections over lack of clarity.

"What we are simply saying is that we are deploying our members to those areas to ensure that party programmes are implemented. Zanu-PF is the government and government programmes have to be implemented to their letter and spirit without distortions," said Moyo.

"We want to ensure that constituencies know about ZimAsset and so forth and its implementation. The MDC-T MPs may not understand our programmes and may therefore mislead the people and confuse them, hence we need to be on the ground. And we also want our members to go there and build the brand of Zanu-PF for future elections," Moyo said.