Khupe campaigns against Mwonzora, Mnangagwa

MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe yesterday launched a campaign urging women to vote for any party besides Zanu-PF and his rival Douglas Mwonzora's MDC Alliance in the March 26 by-elections.

Khupe's MDC-T faction is not contesting the by-elections after her spectacular fall-out with Mwonzora.

Khupe, who has been recalled from Parliament by Mwonzora, claimed that the Zanu-PF led government was siding with her rival in the fight for the control of the MDC-T.

The former Makokoba legislator claimed that Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi had unfairly allocated funds under the Political Parties (Finance) Act to Mwonzora's faction before the legitimacy of the two MDCs has been settled.

This was after Khupe filed papers at the High Court seeking an interdict to prohibit the government from disbursing $149 850 000 to Mwonzora's faction in terms of the Act.

During the launch of the campaign running under the title: "Don't vote for Zanu-PF, Don't vote for Mwonzora," women were beating pots in solidarity with Khupe.

"Our slogan going forward is going to be, #Beat the pot. Stop discrimination against women because women can't breathe," Khupe said in Bulawayo during the launch of the campaign attended by about 200 women.

Khupe's spokesperson Ntando Ndlovu told The Standard that the campaign was aimed at fighting both Zanu-PF and Mwonzora in the by-elections.

"The campaign is informed by Zanu-PF and Mwonzora's use of state institutions against women, in particular the use of arms of government to target women in leadership," Ndlovu said.

"But secondly the campaign is informed by the deteriorating socio-economic situation in the country caused by Zanu-PF and aided by co-opted opposition whose face is Mwonzora.

"Women are clear that the two must not get any votes in the upcoming by elections."

Repeated efforts to get a comment from Mwonzora or his spokesperson Llyod Damba were in vain yesterday.