Desist from violence, MDC-T tells its supporters

Movement for Democratic Change led by Dr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai (MDC-T) has urged more than 200 supporters at a rally at Stanley Hall in Bulawayo to desist from violence as the nation is about to hold elections.

MDC-T Bulawayo Spokesperson, Mandla Sibanda, accused smaller faction of MDC, ZAPU, Zanu-PF and Mavambo of splitting the votes in Bulawayo in the coming elections.

In an interview after the rally, Sibanda urged their supporters across the country to unite for a purpose in order to vote wisely and boot out Zanu-PF that is already behaving like an opposition party in the Inclusive Government.

"Basically there are these three parties based in Bulawayo, they are solely based in Bulawayo, they assist Zanu-PF in dividing votes in Bulawayo, they claim to exist to deal with Matabeleland issues.

"We need unity of purpose ahead of elections. It's not proper to term what happened during and after congress as violence in my opinion it was an issue of difference in term s of opinions and it is the reason why we chose leadership that will represent the party in the next five years," said Sibanda.

Prior to 2011 MDC-T national congress in Bulawayo, during and after the congress, cases of violence in MDC-T were noted around the country and Sibanda denied that there was violence but said that it was an issue of different views by the party members.

"Such incidences do happen when there is change of power and what happened during our congress is normal in a democratic country. We are now concentrating on elections and mobilising our members to go and vote for us so that we remove Mugabe from power.

"This is time to unite against Zanu-PF and other political parties in the country for it do not help the party to have a number of councilors, Members of Parliament and senators when our president is not in control. He must win the next election with a big margin," said Sibanda.

He said the split within Zanu-PF will assist his party to garner more votes and having President Robert Mugabe as a Zanu-PF candidate was a bonus for his party because he cannot outwit Tsvangirai in the next election if it is a free and fair election.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Thokozani Khuphe was scheduled to address the rally in her constituency but she boycotted and went to campaign in Siganda were it is alleged that she wants to stand and contest as an MP against Clifford Sibanda of Zanu-PF.