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NewsDay

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Zim must focus on tackling chronic challenges: Mudzuri

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MDC deputy president Elias Mudzuri says Zimbabweans must focus on tackling the country’s chronic challenges and avoid being swayed into “small” debates about his party’s elective congress set for May this year.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

MDC deputy president Elias Mudzuri says Zimbabweans must focus on tackling the country’s chronic challenges and avoid being swayed into “small” debates about his party’s elective congress set for May this year.

In an interview with NewsDay, Mudzuri described the May congress as a family affair, which must not be a sideshow of the real challenges of reviving the economy.

“I really want us to talk about the economic situation, we want the government to account. People are struggling. I am moving around and people cannot afford [basics]. They don’t have the money and there are no jobs,” he said.

His comments came amid reports that the ruling Zanu PF party had infiltrated the MDC to influence the outcome of its congress.

“There are fuel queues everywhere and people are talking about the ease of doing business. That must be the debate because this country is not going to work with political arguments alone. At the end of the day, this country belongs to all of us and if we are not careful and concentrate on political personalities, we will not find a solution,” Mudzuri said.

He warned that Zimbabwe was risking going the way of Syria.

“Look at Syria, it has been 10 years with civil war and if we are not serious, we will find ourselves in that situation. Even if we don’t agree, we must find a common vision. We can talk at individual level,” he said.

“Right now, we have a dead economy and people are too poor. We have a drought and it is real. We must seek solutions and we are a family as Zimbabweans. There is need to remove the them-against-us mentality. We are one.”

Mudzuri, who has been touted as a possible presidential candidate, refused to discuss the party’s elective congress.

“People are the ones that nominate. They haven’t said anything as yet. I will announce my decision at the right moment. It is a democratic process and everything will come out,” he said.