MDC- Alliance Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora has said that he knows Zanu-PF is afraid of him. Mwonzora was responding to questions on the possible rivalry between him and MDC-Alliance President Nelson Chamisa in contesting for the presidential position at the party’s congress in May.
The Standard’s Big Interview with Obey Manayiti had asked Mwonzora:
Do you think there is a plan by Zanu PF to meddle in MDC affairs and influence the outcome of the party’s internal elections at the congress as reported by some media outlets?
He responded:
What I know is that Zanu PF people are afraid of my candidature because Zanu PF has dealt with me for quite a long time as a member of the opposition.
This is the party that has detained me for over 34 times, starting with my detention at Whawha in 1990 and another detention in Mutare when I was heading Copac (Constitution Parliamentary Committee).
I am sure as chairperson of Copac I must have given Zanu PF a few sleepless nights. I have a formula for defeating that party. I defeated Zanu PF first as a member of ZUM ( Zimbabwe Unity Movement) and fought against a one-party state and we won.
In 1989-90, we fought against a one-party state and I was a member of the students’ union as well as a member of ZUM, where I was in the executive as will presidential spokesperson.
We were able to defeat Zanu PF in its one-party state agenda.
In 1997 I took the government to court over the constitutionality of the Political Parties Finance Act and I successfully challenged it in on the Supreme Court, which he was the Constitutional Court on that occasion.
I have been a member of alt- the MDC and as a member of Copac we have had our new Constitution and it came via the leadership I offered to my colleagues. So I am not doubtful regarding what I can achieve.
I think I do possess the abil-ities of strategic thinking and strategic planning. I think I will be more difficult for the Zanu PF people.
Some MDC-Alliance members loyal to Nelson Chamisa have accused senior party member of being paid by Zanu-PF to frustrate Nelson Chamisa’s bid to continue leading the party after the congress in May.
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