Chamisa says his MDC remains indomitable and unconquerable

THE MDC Alliance will remain a party of "survivors and winners" despite repeated attacks by the Zanu-PF government against the opposition, the organisation's leader, Nelson Chamisa has said.

In his Agenda 2021 Address to the Nation streamed live on the party's social media platforms Tuesday, Chamisa remained upbeat that despite the numerous challenges the MDC Alliance was facing, the party would emerge victors.

"While other governments were working hard to contain the pandemic (Covid-19), the oppressors in Zimbabwe saw it as an opportunity to restrict political rights. They suspended by-elections indefinitely under the guise of fighting the pandemic," he said.

"Therefore, while the oppressors were allowing the removal of people's representatives, they closed the channel for choosing their replacements. This deprived the people of the opportunity to reclaim and correct the injustice by ending the criminal abuse of office and blatant theft.

"Despite all these attacks on our party, we refuse to be cast as victims. Rather, we are survivors and winners, for when someone works so hard to destroy you and they fail, it is because you are a winner and you are strong. We are invincible! We are indomitable and unconquerable."

He said the MDC Alliance remained grateful to Zimbabweans who continue to believe in them, "even as oppressors and terrorists have ganged up against the people and their project.

Last year, scores of MDC Alliance MPs and local councillors were recalled after the MDC-T wrote to Parliament and Local Government Minister July Moyo informing the politicians were no longer party members.

Other senior MDC Alliance officials have defected to the MDC-T or Zanu-PF.

"In their place, handpicked individuals, some of whom we defeated in the 2018 elections were foisted upon the people. Our party headquarters (Harvest House) was forcibly occupied, depriving us our home. The regime also diverted our funding under the Political Parties (Finance) Act, giving it to its surrogates.

"The purpose of all this was to punish our party for resisting the illegitimacy of the outcome of the 2018 elections, which lacked credibility and acceptability.

"The oppressors believed by stripping us of our assets and entitlements under the law would dampen our spirits and break us down. This has not worked. Zimbabwean people are politically literate and advanced. They can distinguish between right and wrong. They know that some are being used by the oppressor as a scheme to derail the people's struggle."