The 21 MDC Renewal MPs who were recently expelled from Parliament say it is back to the drawing board for them as they ponder their political future outside the august house.
By PAIDAMOYO MUZULU
Some of the MPs who spoke to The Standard last week however pledged to continue working for the Renewal Team and push for electoral reforms outside Parliament.
Former Kambuzuma MP Willias Madzimure said he would remain a Renewal member and remain in the trenches for the democratisation of Zimbabwe.
“I’m still in politics and our Renewal Team is intact. I will not abandon the struggle for democratisation at this hour and I believe I still have a connection with my constituency,” Madzimure said.
“I still have a role to play in the Renewal Team and for now, I will concentrate on that.”
Renewal Team Youth Assembly leader and former Dzivaresekwa MP Solomon Madzore said he would continue in the struggle, as defined by the clear ideology that the Renewal Team had taken. “Being a member of Renewal Team is more important than being an MP. I will be working to strengthen my party rather than joining hands with people we do not share the same ideologies with,” Madzore said. He was however not very certain about contesting the 2018 general elections. “If the party members elect me as their representative, I will participate but this will depend on whether as a party we would have decided on participating in the elections since we have demands for electoral reforms,” Madzore said.
Former Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya said he was looking into the political developments keenly before making a final decision on his future.
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“I have been analysing the political trajectory in the country and I am coming to the conclusion that removing Zanu PF needs a united opposition which we don’t have at present,” Chikwinya said.
“I will not consider entering into any election if the opposition is not united because I understand we need to collectively as opposition confront Zanu PF and the current system if we have to win.”
The MDC Renewal, just like most other opposition parties, is boycotting the June 10 by-elections for 14 of the 21 seats left vacant following the expulsion of the MPs.
Meanwhile, MDC Renewal treasurer-general Elton Mangoma said his party would concentrate on consolidating its structures, preparing for its inaugural congress and building alliances and coalitions with other political parties in the wake of the ConCourt decision that upheld their ejection from Parliament.
“We had made our plans on what to do after the court application. We are now going to consolidate our structures and preparations for our inaugural congress,” Mangoma said.
The party had been working on setting up provincial and district structures across the country since it split from the MDC-T in April 2014.
Mangoma said the party was exploring further options of building coalitions and alliances.
“We are negotiating with likeminded political partners either to unify our parties or create broad alliances ahead of the 2018 general elections,” he said.
The Renewal Team last year entered into a memorandum of understanding to unite with the Welshman Ncube-led MDC by August this year. To that end the parties are doing membership and structure audits in preparation for the joint congress. Before the congress, each party will hold its own “take note” congress around May or June this year. Mangoma further stated that the opposition should not lose focus that the main prize was contesting and winning the 2018 general elections.
“It is therefore important for the opposition to unite and force Zanu PF to implement the necessary electoral reforms so that the next general polls will produce credible results,” he said. For now, the stage is set and judgement of the Renewal project can be passed by the electorate at the next general elections in 2018.
