Special Message from Prof Welshman Ncube

Fellow MDC members, in the next twenty four (24) hours we will gather at Ascot Stadium in my hometown of Gweru for a historic, momentous occasion in the history of our party and our nation.

For the first time after more than a decade of squabbles we will meet as fellow democrats having reflected on our past and resolved to bury its evils but learn important lessons thereof.

We will meet in order to develop a people centred programme by which over the next five years we will have to set millions of Zimbabweans on a trajectory of defiance against state brutality, genocide denialism, electoral theft, unemployment, currency crisis, rampant prices, under development and all forms of evils imposed on our beloved Zimbabwe by the politico-military regime of our times.

We will also meet in Gweru in order to complete the election of MDC leaders which we began over two (2) months ago from our branches, wards, districts and provinces.

On that note, I would like to thank all of you for unanimously electing Advocate Nelson Chamisa as President of the MDC and for nominating me to contest for the position of MDC Vice President.

I value your trust deposited in me.

Sadly, we will meet to do all these great things but, for the first time, without our founding leader the late Dr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.

Our greatest salute and thank you to Dr Tsvangirai could be to use this congress to cement his final wish and act of uniting our party, putting it in the hands of capable younger men and women and setting it on a trajectory of victory.

Once again I appeal for your vote as your Vice President.

I commit myself to stand by the party and by President Nelson Chamisa and ,in addition to loyalty to the values of democracy, transparency, non-violence and equality, I offer you thought leadership.

The time has come for us to think hard and think until it hurts.

Under my Vice Presidency, the MDC will capture the minds of more millions by leading both the action and the debate on the National Question. Together we shall push that there be democratic change in Zimbabwe even before 2023. The solutions to the challenges faced by our unemployed youths, our suffering women, our penniless pensioners, our military veterans dumped into the abject poverty of resettlement areas, our unpaid civil servants and our home sick diasporans are so urgent that we can't postpone the fight to 2023. The fight must begin now and I offer to compliment President Chamisa in leading the next phase of mass resistance, legal reforms and diplomatic engagements.

I pledge to help President Nelson Chamisa create platforms for regular, honest and robust but peaceful interface with the people, platforms through which as party structures and members you will be able to continuously input into the growth of our glorious movement all.

Fellow democrats, I further offer my proven negotiating skills as we seek legislative reforms on such matters as deepening devolution of power, introducing diaspora voting, strengthening proportional representation and preserving our Independent Commissions provided for in the Constitution of Zimbabwe. With the cooperation of our team of Parliamentarians and regardless of the fact that we are a numerical minority, we can still influence these democratic changes.

The time to confront ZANU PF head on both on the streets and in the legislature is now and I am ready to play a rate determining role in both avenues of confrontation.

This is my humble request for your votes.

Finally let me urge all of you to make sure that as you come to congress, you travel during day time. Our road infrastructure is deplorable and driving at night or under the influence of intoxicating substances increases the risk of accidents. May we all arrive alive and depart alive. Furthermore, let us all carry warm clothing because Gweru is a very cold city.

See you at congress.

I thank you.

Prof Welshman Ncube
MDC Vice President