MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe yesterday launched a campaign urging women to vote for any party besides Zanu PF and her rival Douglas Mwonzoraโs MDC Alliance in the March 26 by-elections effectively throwing weight behind Nelson Chamisa’s Citizens Coalition for Change,.
Khupeโs MDC-T faction is not contesting the by-elections after her spectacular fall-out with Mwonzora.
Khupe, who has been recalled from Parliament by Mwonzora, claimed that the Zanu PF led government was siding with her rival in the fight for the control of the MDC-T.
The former Makokoba legislator claimed that Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi had unfairly allocated funds under the Political Parties (Finance) Act to Mwonzoraโs faction before the legitimacy of the two MDCs has been settled.
This was after Khupe filed papers at the High Court seeking an interdict to prohibit the government from disbursing $149 850 000 to Mwonzoraโs faction in terms of the Act.
During the launch of the campaign running under the title: โDonโt vote for Zanu PF, Donโt vote for Mwonzora,โ women were beating pots in solidarity with Khupe.
โOur slogan going forward is going to be, #Beat the pot. Stop discrimination against women because women canโt breathe,โ Khupe said in Bulawayo during the launch of the campaign attended by about 200 women.
Khupeโs spokesperson Ntando Ndlovu told The Standard that the campaign was aimed at fighting both Zanu PF and Mwonzora in the by-elections.
โThe campaign is informed by Zanu PF and Mwonzoraโs use of state institutions against women, in particular the use of arms of government to target women in leadership,โ Ndlovu said.
โBut secondly the campaign is informed by the deteriorating socio-economic situation in the country caused by Zanu PF and aided by co-opted opposition whose face is Mwonzora.
โWomen are clear that the two must not get any votes in the upcoming by elections.โ
-Online
