OPPOSITION leader and MDC Alliance presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa has threatened to confront President Emmerson Mnangagwa to discuss the Zanu PF leader’s alleged links to various blue-chip companies and demanded that the latter publicly declare his interest in those firms.
BY RICHARD CHIDZA
Addressing an MDC Alliance campaign rally at Murewa Growth Point on Saturday, Chamisa said: “Mnangagwa recently released a list of companies accused of externalising foreign currency, but these were companies that had acquitted their imports and paid all dues to the government.
“(People’s Democratic Party leader, Tendai) Biti you must teach these people the law.
“But you should not worry, I have a list of companies that Mnangagwa is associated with.
“I am going to meet him and ask how he could be associated with these businesses, when he has always been in government,” he said.
Chamisa yesterday reiterated that he had a list of companies connected to Mnangagwa.
“We want accountable leadership,” he said.
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“We have the names of companies that Mnangagwa is associated with. We want to know the extent of his association. Some of these companies include banks, as well as some in gold production and oil industry.”
Chamisa also threatened to demand early elections if Zanu PF continued to abuse social safety nets meant to benefit the rural poor following reports that only ruling party supporters were benefitting from government-sourced food aid and agricultural inputs.
“I was in meetings with chiefs and other traditional leaders in Mutawatawa (Mutoko district) and was told that food as well as agricultural inputs like seed are being distributed on a partisan basis,” he continued.
“If you are MDC, you do not benefit from these things.
“But these are not Zanu PF benefits to the people.
“These inputs were bought using taxpayers’ money.
“For the record, most of the people, who pay taxes are MDC supporters.
“If this continues, we might be left with no option but to demand an early election so that we can dispense with Mnangagwa and his faction. We would want to get it over and done with.”
Contacted for comment, Zanu spokesperson and acting Information minister Simon Khaya Moyo professed ignorance over issues raised by Chamisa.
“I have no idea which companies are connected to the President or those in which he has interests,” he said. “If he (Chamisa) is going to see the President, then I suppose he will.
“We really have nothing to say and will wait to hear what he wants.
“I do not make arrangements for presidential meetings, that is done by (presidential spokesperson, George) Charamba.”
Efforts to contact Charamba were fruitless yesterday.
Chamisa added that he was also disturbed by reports that Mnangagwa had deployed soldiers to campaign for Zanu PF in the rural areas. “We hear they are there terrorising villagers across the country.
“But we know this is a Zanu PF tactic to penetrate and abuse villagers.
“It is the army and we demand that our soldiers must never be abused for political ends.
“They must go back to the barracks.
“Once we get into power in September, we will make sure our security services are well looked after.
“Our traditional leaders must be nowhere near politics,” he said.
Mnangagwa last week released a list of companies and individuals that allegedly externalised money, but this was roundly dismissed as a damp squib.
