Tsvangirai attacks Kwame Nkrumah Morgan Tsvangirai
Mr Tsvangirai

Mr Tsvangirai

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, whose historical equals are the Moise Tshombes and Morrison Nyathis, yesterday unsurprisingly launched an attack against Africa’s liberation icon and Ghana’s founding president Dr Kwame Nkrumah for urging nationalists to first seek political independence ahead of riches.

Addressing MDC-T supporters in Kuwadzana, Mr Tsvangirai said Dr Nkrumah was wrong in agitating for political independence first.

Mr Tsvangirai’s statements come as the African continent celebrated Africa Day yesterday where names like Dr Nkrumah, who helped found the Organisation of African Unity (now African Union), were being revered throughout the continent.

Dr Nkrumah is known for his famous statement, “Seek ye first political kingdom and all else shall be added unto you.”

“Is that true?” Mr Tsvangirai questioned. “Is that prophetic? Was Nkrumah right or was he wrong? He was very wrong. Because akaseta vision yakaipa (he set a wrong vision.)

“How can you say we should just seek political freedom. Munhu haadyi flag, haadyi national anthem. Anodya basa.”

Political analysts rapped Mr Tsvangirai for failing to understand the true meaning of Dr Nkrumah’s statement.

University of Zimbabwe political analyst Professor Charity Manyeruke said economic freedom was only achievable through political independence.

“That statement was relevant then and it is still relevant today,” she said. “If Africa is under the yoke of colonialism you cannot achieve economic freedom.

“Political freedom is the right to decide about economic resources, self determination and the right to sovereignty and liberty which are the most essential things.”

Another analyst Goodwine Mureriwa said political freedom was the avenue through which economic resources like land and minerals were secured.

“Renowned scholar Harold Lasswell said politics is who gets what, when and how,” he said.

“The politics of colonisation was such that Western imperialism used the Bible on one hand and the gun on the other.

“They wanted to use soft power to get our land and if blacks refused they would use hard power through political conquest. Nkrumah was saying it is difficult to get economic power without political power.”

Turning to the by-elections in 16 constituencies on June 10, Mr Tsvangirai urged his party supporters not to cast their votes or to go to the polls and spoil ballot papers.

He said Zanu-PF should agree to electoral reforms first before they could participate in future elections.

The Government has since indicated that electoral reforms are ongoing and most are in the new Constitution.

Mr Tsvangirai’s double standards were exposed when he said that he could not contest against Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the 2018 general elections just in case Zanu-PF was to elect him as their candidate.

“A first division team does not compete with fourth division. If they give me Mnangagwa in 2018, I will ask (Blessing) Chebundo to stand,” said Mr Tsvangirai, unwittingly betraying himself as pretending to boycott elections when in fact he is preparing for the 2018 general elections under the same conditions.

At the same rally, MDC-T MP for Sunningdale Mrs Margaret Matienga contradicted her boss by urging party supporters to go and register to vote.

This was despite the fact that the rally was called to advise people to boycott all elections until there were reforms.

“It is important that we go and register to vote,” she said.

“Please, you should encourage each other to go and vote.”

Before delivering his main speech, Mr Tsvangirai threatened to ban all formalities of introductions, saying they were eating into his time.

“You are wasting time doing introductions,” he said.

“Tichazvibhana zvekuintroducer izvi.”

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