Opinion / Columnist
MDC-T, don't abuse youths for political interests
04 Mar 2014 at 04:40hrs | Views
At an MDC-T rally on 16 February 2014 in Glen Norah, a day after some leaders of that party were bashed at Harvest House, Mr Tsvangirai uttered a statement that borders on inciting the helpless youths of his party to engage in violence.
"You have to act and not sleep in the house while the country is burning and only to blame Tsvangirai. Don't be cowards. Why are you afraid of going to jail? You have to liberate yourself and stop being cowards," said Mr Tsvangirai.
This statement is pregnant with meaning. What is it that will send the youths to jail? It becomes apparent that Mr Tsvangirai is spurring his followers to engage in activities that are on the wrong side of the law, which will eventually lead them into jail.
It might be misconstrued as bravery to be jailed for political reasons but our youths have a future which Mr Tsvangirai should consider before such an incitement. Right now some MDC-T youths are in remand prison for senselessly attacking their leaders. It will soon cross their minds that violence does not pay, more so committing it for the political expediency of someone.
The MDC-T only made noise about it during the first few days after their arrest. Thereafter, it was business as usual at Harvest House. The party ended up reneging on its pledge to support the families of the arrested.
Madzore is on record saying he and the youths that he leads would die for Mr Tsvangirai. Yes he went to jail for Mr Tsvangirai but the thank you he gets after that is pitiable. Solomon is one of the party leaders who are on the hit list for allegedly supporting Mangoma's so called leadership renewal project. The party's hoodlums are baying for his blood.
Morgen Komichi, who spent several months in jail, was used by Mr Tsvangirai as a living example of bravery that the youths must emulate. I wish if he was to be given a floor to express his honest opinion on the way his party treated him while he was in prison. Very few party officials visited him to an extent that his poor father had to sell some cattle to meet his legal bills.
It is, therefore, my sincere advice to the youths that they can only liberate themselves through the ballot rather than what their leader is advocating. Political leaders should not abuse the helpless youths as tools to achieve their political interests.
Source - Tafara Shumba
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