Red invokes Gukurahundi says MDC Renewal Team

MDC Renewal Team fronted by Tendai Biti has dumped the color red used by the main MDC formation led by Morgan Tsvangirai saying the colour invoked memories of Gukurahundi.

Gukurahundi is a term used to refer to the 1980 State violence which left an estimated 20 000 innocent civilians in Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands provinces dead for supporting  ZAPU led by late veteran nationalist vice president Joshua Nkomo.

Speaking at the launch of the movement in Bulawayo today, the formation's national chairperson Samuel Sipepa Nkomo charged that the red colour symbolized death and could not be used by the Renewal Team as it symbolized violence.

He said the movement had abandoned the main formation because of violence hence they could no longer the colour red because it is not in line with the Renewal Team's  founding principles of peace.

"We disowned the colour red because it symbolizes death," said Sipepa. "In fact the color read symbolizes blood and reminds us the people of Matabeleland the sad memories of Gukurahundi. Members of the fifth brigade wore red berets and when we see the colour red we are reminded of the killings."

Sipepa said the colour orange which the Renewal Team had adopted as the official colour of the formation symbolized life and peace and is used by most democratic formations around the world.  Economic Freedom Fighters party in neighbouring South Africa also uses orange as its official colour.

"Orange symbolizes peace and gives life," Sipepa said. "It is medicinal hence we have chosen it because we want to give life to the dying nation."

Sipepa also took a swipe at the Zanu PF administration saying it was totally dysfunctional and could not revive the country' dead economy.

"You say there is a government in Zimbabwe?" he asked. "No, it is not there. It is dead. Mugabe and Chinamasa are totally clueless as they are failing to revive the economy yet Mugabe often talks of sovereignty when we use foreign currency."

Sipepa also stated that there was need for opposition parties to form a coalition in order to remove Mugabe from power saying "no party could tackle Mugabe single-handedly".