The Real Change Times Movement for Democratic Change A Party of Excellence! The Offcial Mouthpiece of the MDC

April 12 issue MDC Communications Department, House, 44 Nelson Mandela Ave, Harare, Issue 166 2018

PresidentT has extended ankculture in which civil servants are you Byo his heartfelt thank you to the people of not victimized for serving under an Bulawayo for their show of support with administration. He said it is the politicians a huge turnout for the MDC Alliance rally whose terms of offce are altered by on Saturday at the White City Stadium. the people who elect them, not the civil servants. President Chamisa said “It was a heartening sojourn into the city of “Politicians are the ones who are elected, Kings and Queens at the weekend as the not civil servants. In a new government our ambience and camaraderie amply testifed civil servants will know that their service to a city ready to step into a new country. is service to the people and not to a party. The crowd was huge, the atmosphere at Zanu PF does not know the difference. the White City Stadium was electric and Party and government are different. We scintillating, arguably our biggest crowd need to ensure this distinction is in place. so far.” No one should be victimized for serving in government at any given point,” he said. “The huge crowd that turned up at White City stadium on Saturday in its own He added that in the month of April, which unique way answered its own questions the MDC has declared to be independence and stood testimony to the successful month, it is important to redefne why rebranding that the party has undergone that struggle was fought and how the new and the growing confdence and faith generation can embrace the celebration of that the people continue to repose in our independence as equals knowing they too democratic movement. fought for the independence of this nation.

“I saw the old and the desperate, the He said independence was attained so young and the impatient, the restless and that people could lead a better life, not the the carefree all ready to walk into a novel constant struggles people endure in this moment-a new Zimbabwe. Bulawayo generation. showed it was a city all set to step out and meet a new destiny. I saw a people ready “We did not attain independence to see and prepared to shake the hand of destiny the problems we face this day. We did not and to behold the new,” President Chamisa attain Independence for the suffering and government interference in the Khumalo nation ought to honour him for his role in Speaking on his Road to Victory added. fracturing we are seeing in this country. We throne saying the government should allow the liberation of this country. (R2V) Chamisa on Tuesday platform, did not attain independence to victimize communities to deal with their chieftaincy President Chamisa said, “For me, the Addressing the throng, President Chamisa people,” President Chamisa said. alone according to their cultures. “He was abused for liberating this country. late Dr Joshua Nkomo will always be a said in a new dispensation, the MDC He was abused for being the father who source of inspiration, notwithstanding the wants to make sure that it is compulsory He added that devolution of power was “Leave the Khumalo clan do what they wanted peace, he was abused for wanting regime’s perennial attempt to belittle and for national leaders to speak all the major a constitutional requirement that need to know best according to their culture. Leave unity in this country. I was told that since undermine his national contribution. languages in Zimbabwe. be upheld in order for the nation to start them alone. We must respect our culture. the passing on of Dr Nkomo, I am the frst developing. Going forward, we want Matopo to be the national leader to go there, and they gave “He will always be an undisputed national “We do not want language imperialism in a center of annual cultural celebrations,” he me a staff,” said President Chamisa. hero and I immediately ordered the new Zimbabwe. We do not want language The current government has failed to said. Bulawayo City Council to ensure that cleansing, where you dwarf other people’s implement and respect the provisions of “Dr Nkomo represented what Dr the museum is upgraded to a level of a language but you want to advance your the constitution. President Chamisa also took time to visit Tsvangirai represented. Peace in strategic national institution that does not own. We are correcting that. It starts with the Joshua Nkomo memorial museum as Zimbabwe. Unity in Zimbabwe. Tolerance have to pay rates to the local authority. your President,” he said. “We want areas like Matopo to be elevated part of the party’s thrust to commemorate in Zimbabwe. Giving yourself to the The Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo museum to town status. It is possible. We want Independence month. people, without being selfsh. So I am is a strategic national heritage state that “We do not want the Zanu PF culture devolution. Let us devolve power and moving in the footsteps of Nkomo,I am honours the life of one of Zimbabwe’s of bastardising other communities,” he authority. Devolution is our revolution. “Independence is a people’s affair, not a moving in the footsteps of Tsvangirai. We undisputed national heroes. added. We want to ensure Bulawayo returns to its Zanu PF affair,” said the President. want the legacy of the liberation struggle status as an industrial hub,” he said. Speaking about the illustrious Father to be fulflled,” he said. “The Nkomo brand is a towering brand The President spoke of a new governance President Chamisa took a swipe at the Zimbabwe, President Chamisa said the that must be accorded veneration by all of us, especially the local authority that we control. Sparing such an institution the obligation to pay rates will be the city’s own humble way of paying tribute to the mammoth and indefatigable national brand that was Joshua Nkomo,” he said.

Meanwhile, after a brief foray into the city, the MDC returns to the rural areas this weekend to take into the villages, the gospel of the tripod promise of transformation, opportunities and prosperity that undergird its vision for the country.

Rural Zimbabwe is the MDC focus in this election campaign. In the next few months, the Party intends to step on every blade of grass in every village in the rural outlays where the majority of the people live.

The MDC shall hold rallies on Friday at Nyika Growth Point and on Saturday at Jerera Growth Point, in Masvingo Province. Thank you Bulawayo: A city ready to step into a new, transformed Zimbabwe

MDC - Transformation. Opportunity. Prosperity

1 Tis week in Pictures...

President Chamisa met with the ZCTU leadership .The party was formed out of the labour movement in President Chamisa meets Jabulani Sibanda in Byo Vice President Elias Mudzuri and other Party leaders update the Zimbabwe Gender Commission on its efforts in 1999 and the two frequently engage. adhering to the 50/50 gender parity as well as a youth quarter in the coming 2018 general elections

Part of the exuberant crowd at White City Stadium, Bulawayo on Saturday

President Nelson Chamisa took time to visit the Joshua Nkomo museum (left) and engaged with people living with disabilities (centre) as well as students (right) during his Bulawayo visit. MDC Alliance’s Peace Zimbabwe Agenda 1. Introduction 7. To achieve this, certain conditions tions, amongst other signs. members of Zimbabwe’s security sec- Zimbabwe and set a dangerous mili- have to be met. In this document, the tor staged a de facto military coup that tary coup precedent. 1.On the 5th of August 2017, the MDC Alliance outlines a Plan and En- resulted in the resignation of President founding father of Zimbabwean De- vironment for A Credible Election 4.Electoral authoritarianism has resulted Robert Mugabe, and the appointment 16. Mugabe’s departure, the tragic mocracy, Morgan Richard Tsvangirai, (PEACE) in Zimbabwe which is an in continuously disputed election results, of Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new passing on of Tsvangirai (the main formerly launched a grouping of 7 po- outline of minimum conditions that are thereby creating enduring legitimacy President of the country on the 24th of leader of the democratic opposition), litical parties under the banner of the critical to the conducting of a free, fair defcits for successive governments. November 2017. the military coup and increasing clam- MDC Alliance. and credible election outcome, followed These legitimacy defcits have been ac- or for justice by victims of Mugabe’s by an unimpeded transfer of state power. companied by the following traits: 12. A minority of older ZANU PF and misrule and the November 2017 coup, 2.The MDC Alliance is Zimbabwe’s security sector members felt that their effectively means that Zimbabwe has biggest opposition party coalition, 2. The context of elections in 5.The dominance of an unpopular and entitlement to rule Zimbabwe was under entered a major, but fragile, transition whose central objective is the creation Zimbabwe minority ZANU PF political elite, with threat from Mugabe’s decision to renew phase. of an inclusive democratic Zimbabwe, close ties to the security sector, which is the ZANU PF leadership by breaking in which all are genuinely free and en- 1.From the early 1990s, a majority of Af- driven by a sense of entitlement having in a younger generation of leaders who 17.The frst stepping-stone for shep- joy equal access to opportunities for rican countries underwent ‘a third wave its roots in Zimbabwe’s 1970s liberation did not participate in the 1970s libera- herding this fragile transition towards prosperity. of democratization’, and since that time war. tion war. The de facto military coup’s democracy is a free, fair and credible elections have become institutionalized. ultimate goal was to preserve the entitle- 2018 election, which will lead to a re- 3.In order to achieve the goal of a sus- Elections are now widely recognized as 6. The increasing political role of sec- ment of this older minority elite. turn to legitimacy. The integrity of the tainable democratic Zimbabwe, the the only legitimate means of changing tions of the Zimbabwean army, military 2018 election is guaranteed by: MDC Alliance recognizes the critical government in Africa. intelligence, civilian intelligence (CIO), 13. Mnangagwa’s “new” government importance of the 2018 election. police, air-force and prison services. is a coalition of the old, undemocratic (i) Respect of the principles of elec- 2.However, the staging of regular elec- and corrupt old political guard and the toral democracy; 4.In this regard, the MDC Alliance un- tions has not necessarily led to substan- 7. Systematic corruption and state cap- leaders of the November 2017 military derstands that since 1980, Zimbabwe tive democracies in Africa. Electoral ture by a minority ZANU PF elite. intervention. (ii) Respect and protection of the voter; has gone through tumultuous, violent authoritarianism has emerged instead and heavily contested elections. in many countries. That is, regular elec- 8. Systemic economic decline. 14. Thus as Zimbabwe approaches the (iii) Respect and integrity of the result; tions are consistently held in an environ- 2018 election, its biggest concern, in 5.That being the case, the MDC Alli- ment where the principles of freedom 9. Acceleration of poverty and impover- the short term, is how to ensure that a (iv) Actualizing and implementing the ance recognizes the importance of the and fairness are systematically violated. ishment of the Zimbabwean people. legitimate government is established in result; next election in departing from an un- Elections serve as an instrument of legit- the country via free, fair and credible democratic past and creating the basis imation for existing authoritarian orders. 10. Disregard for the rule of law, the con- elections. (v) Ethical conduct; of the establishment of a Transforma- stitution and constitutionalism. tive Democratic Developmental State. 3.Zimbabwe has not proven immune to 4. Zimbabwe in transition: the impor- (vi) Professionalism and accuracy this rise of electoral authoritarianism in 3. The 14th of November 2017 Mili- tance of the 2018 election. 6.The next election must therefore be Africa. Elections are staged regularly in tary Action (vii) Oversight and enforcement a free, fair and credible democratic Zimbabwe but all display the hallmarks 15. The undemocratic events of Novem- exercise, whose outcome will be ac- of electoral authoritarianism: rigging; 11. In keeping with Zimbabwe’s pat- ber 2017 resulted in the end of Mugabe’s (viii) Transparency and accountability cepted by all Zimbabweans and the violence, intimidation and abuse of state tern of legitimacy defcits for successive 37 years of political incumbency, but international community. resources by the incumbent party in elec- governments, in November 2017 some they also renewed authoritarianism in

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