News / National
MDC-T should not wait for 2018 elections, says Sikhala
17 Mar 2014 at 06:47hrs | Views
FORMER MDC 99 president Job Sikhala, who last week rejoined MDC-T following the 2005 split, says the opposition party should not wait for 2018 elections to topple President Robert Mugabe's government as people would have died of hunger.
Sikhala, who broke ranks with MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai after the 2005 MDC split, received a standing ovation during a rally at Stanley Square in Bulawayo on Saturday when he said he was "committed to finishing the job we began in 1999".
He suggested elections could be called before 2018.
"I am shocked when people speak of 2018 elections. Mugabe must go now. We can't wait for 2018, people would have died of hunger," Sikhala charged.
"I have come to the party, I have come back, my president, with all my commitment.
"I have come back, to finish off what we started in 1999."
Sikhala said MDC-T should stop mourning over the 2013 "electoral theft", but regroup and restrategise and warned members from attempting to distract Tsvangirai.
"Frankly speaking, when I met with Tsvangirai, we said too much time has been lost complaining about electoral theft, but there should be a paradigm shift," he said.
"Mugabe should regret that the people's vote cannot be rigged. We are not waiting for 2018 to remove him from power, Mugabe should go now.
"This is the time that personal egos must be put aside and we put the people's interests first.
"We lost the previous elections on the basis of our naivety. We ignored the fact that the struggle was bigger than individuals."
When the original MDC split, Sikhala was part of the Welshman Ncube-led MDC, but broke away a few years later and formed his MDC-99 in 2010. He sat in the MDC national executive and was the party's secretary for defence.
Tsvangirai, who formed an alliance with Simba Makoni in the July 31 elections last year, lost by a wide margin only managing 34,9% of the vote against Mugabe's 61%, and claimed the polls were rigged.
Addressing the same gathering, Tsvangirai concurred with Sikhala that preparations for next polls should begin in earnest.
"I agree with Sikhala, we must always be prepared for any eventuality because we are at the last phase of the struggle.
"Our roadmap is clear. Mini conferences are coming soon, the youth and women are going to meet at every ward and district."
Sikhala, who broke ranks with MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai after the 2005 MDC split, received a standing ovation during a rally at Stanley Square in Bulawayo on Saturday when he said he was "committed to finishing the job we began in 1999".
He suggested elections could be called before 2018.
"I am shocked when people speak of 2018 elections. Mugabe must go now. We can't wait for 2018, people would have died of hunger," Sikhala charged.
"I have come to the party, I have come back, my president, with all my commitment.
"I have come back, to finish off what we started in 1999."
Sikhala said MDC-T should stop mourning over the 2013 "electoral theft", but regroup and restrategise and warned members from attempting to distract Tsvangirai.
"Frankly speaking, when I met with Tsvangirai, we said too much time has been lost complaining about electoral theft, but there should be a paradigm shift," he said.
"This is the time that personal egos must be put aside and we put the people's interests first.
"We lost the previous elections on the basis of our naivety. We ignored the fact that the struggle was bigger than individuals."
When the original MDC split, Sikhala was part of the Welshman Ncube-led MDC, but broke away a few years later and formed his MDC-99 in 2010. He sat in the MDC national executive and was the party's secretary for defence.
Tsvangirai, who formed an alliance with Simba Makoni in the July 31 elections last year, lost by a wide margin only managing 34,9% of the vote against Mugabe's 61%, and claimed the polls were rigged.
Addressing the same gathering, Tsvangirai concurred with Sikhala that preparations for next polls should begin in earnest.
"I agree with Sikhala, we must always be prepared for any eventuality because we are at the last phase of the struggle.
"Our roadmap is clear. Mini conferences are coming soon, the youth and women are going to meet at every ward and district."
Source - newsday
