(HERALD ZW) Misihairabwi urges MDC-T to accept defeat
Wednesday, 16th October 2013
Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
MDC secretary-general Ms Priscilla-Misihairabwi-Mushonga yesterday urged MDC-T to accept defeat at the polls and join Zanu-PF in building the nation. Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga, who was contributing to debate on the President’s speech, said there was need to accept what happened on July 31, 2013 and improve on weaknesses for future elections instead of continued preoccupation with the past, drawing a standing ovation from mainly Zanu-PF legislators.
MDC-T which dismally lost the elections to Zanu-PF managing only 70 seats in the 270-member National Assembly which Zanu-PF dominates with 197 seats, way above the two-thirds majority threshold of 180 seats, has been trying to cast aspersions on the harmonised elections that have been endorsed by the United Nations, the African Union, Sadc, Comesa, the ACP, and over 40 countries world wide as a credible expression of the will of Zimbabweans.
The MDC-T has, however, since failed to substantiate its claims that the elections were rigged.
In her contribution, Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga – who is one of the MDC’s two legislators – said the victorious Zanu-PF should not continue treating its election competitors as enemies so as to seek legitimacy from them.
“The first thing that we need to do, painful as it may, is to acknowledge that July 31 happened and it’s done. However even as we move on we need to say what is it we should do better. We also can not have us, as an opposition party sit and fold our hands and say ‘chitongai tione’ expecting that something wrong would happen. That is not the way,” Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga said.
She said that required sober and unemotional minds to accept what happened and move forward and think how to do better in 2018.
“But holding the different positions that we have right now, we will not make 2018 any different from what it is right now. We need a leadership from both sides that begin to say, yes we have a problem but we will deal with it,” she said.
“We need to go back to the drawing board and begin to look at these things in a sober an unemotional manner. This is why I am saying the more women we have in this House the more we will begin to have sense.”
Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga said it was unfortunate that the elections though peaceful had left the political players polarised.
“Even as we move forward we need to say to ourselves what is it that we should do better next time. What is it that make us so divided and so polarised.
That can not happen by us, sitting on the opposite side and throwing stones at each other. It’s not about winning an argument but building the nation. Building a nation takes humility,” she said.
Ms Misihairabwi however surprised fellow legislators when she commended the role played by three principals that left out former Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.
She lauded President Mugabe, MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai and MDC leader, Professor Welshman Ncube for setting the tone but remained silent on the role of Prof Mutambara.
This triggered some interjections from the floor who shouted Prof Mutambara’s name.
Labels: 2013 ELECTIONS (ZW), MDC, PRISCILLA MISIHAIRABWI
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Hunt for violence sponsors hots up
Thursday, 10 November 2011 00:00
Zvamaida Murwira and Lloyd Gumbo
JOMIC and the Organ on National Healing, Integration and Reconciliation yesterday met representatives of parties in the inclusive Government and chiefs ahead of tomorrow's indaba on violence. While acknowledging the police probe into recent cases of violence, Jomic said it was launching its own investigations to establish the forces behind the skirmishes.
Those fingered in the probe will be prosecuted. Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa, who is co-ordinating tomorrow's high-level indaba, said preparations for the meeting were going on well. He said preliminary meetings were held yesterday.
"We are meeting again tomorrow (today) as co-ordinators and secretaries general of other parties in preparation for the meeting," said Cde Mutasa.
Jomic co-chairpersons Cde Patrick Chinamasa (Zanu-PF), Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga (MDC) and Mr Elton Mangoma (MDC-T) said they were going to meet Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri over the issue.
Jomic chairperson for November Mrs Misihairabwi Mushonga said a Jomic committee yesterday met provincial chairmen for Harare from the three political parties.
They met Cde Amos Midzi (Zanu-PF), Mr Paul Madzore (MDC-T) and Mr Trynos Muguchini (MDC).
Mr Madzore confirmed the meeting, but said it was just an interface by the provincial leadership.
"Violence is of concern to everyone, so as the chairpersons of the parties we are going to meet again tomorrow morning (today).
"After we have done our investigations, we will notify the police of our findings and also to find out what would have happened to the perpetrators," she said.
"As Jomic, we do not tolerate violence and we would want political parties' leadership to cascade the message of peace down to the grassroots. We would want the political leadership to always take responsibility in stopping this violence."
Cde Chinamasa said it was critical to establish the underlying causes of violence.
He said the meeting with the police top brass would ensure perpetrators of violence are brought to book.
Cde Chinamasa said it was the responsibility of the police to investigate and prosecute all perpetrators of violence.
"As Jomic, we can't prevent violence and we expect the police to be in the lead in investigating and bringing to book all the perpetrators.
"That is the reason why the police should always be informed of meetings so that they can have their people at the possible flash points because we believe what is important is to prevent violence," he said.
Cde Chinamasa said the meeting with the police will afford them a chance to present their side of the story.
He said the objective was to create an environment for free and fair elections.
Cde Chinamasa said the legitimacy of any election outcome where there is violence would be disputed.
He said Jomic was in the process of establishing district committees to monitor political parties and their supporters.
Cde Chinamasa said the committees would be best suited to impartially advise the Jomic leadership of the causes of violence.
He said Jomic had found funding to finance districts and provincial operations.
Mr Mangoma said there was need for the political leadership to walk the talk on preaching peace.
"We want to see commitment from leadership and what they say in public should be consistent with what they say in private.
"If we let this violence continue, it will consume this nation overnight and as Jomic we will do our part in making sure that there is peace and tranquillity in the country. We cannot develop as a country if there is violence.
"Jomic will carry out its own investigations and everyone knows that a fair game has to be done and the facts will come out and those behind it will have to be prosecuted," he said.
Mr Mangoma said Jomic's goal was to build peace and tolerance through dialogue.
Mr Mangoma hailed parties in the inclusive Government for coming together to promote peace.
He said tomorrow's high-level meeting will be a landmark move in the fight against political violence.
During the Organ on National Healing, Integration and Reconciliation's meeting with traditional leaders, it was agreed that chiefs were best placed to deal with political violence in their localities.
Vice President John Nkomo who chairs the organ said from their interaction with various stakeholders in the past months, traditional leaders were the right people to deal with the vice.
Chiefs' Council president Fortune Charumbira concurred with VP Nkomo, but implored the three political parties to invite traditional leaders to tomorrow's indaba as observers.
The Vice President chronicled the country's political history and the struggle for independence, adding there was no need for brothers to fight each other.
He said the fight should have ended with the war against imperialists.
VP Nkomo said a council will be established from national to district level to deal with political violence.
A code of conduct will be prepared for political parties that should guide them, said the VP.
Chief Charumbira said when political violence occurs, traditional leaders are hurt most.
Some traditional leaders were given an opportunity to give their views on the matter.
Labels: DIDYMUS MUTASA, JOMIC, MDC VIOLENCE, PATRICK CHINAMASA, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, PRISCILLA MISIHAIRABWI
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NewsDay attack on Misihairabwi unjustified
04/11/2011 00:00:00
by Qhubani Moyo
THE attack on the Secretary General of the MDC Priscillar Misihairabwi-Mushonga by Conway Tutani, the NewsDay senior sub editor and columnist on November 4, 2011, is totally unacceptable and unjustified.
The attack arises from a newspaper article that falsely accuses Misihairabwi-Musonga of not being sensitive to the illness of Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khuphe, yet it is a matter of the public record that she has been genuinely sympathetic to Khuphe, with whom she has been in the trenches together for a long time both as a personal friend and political comrade.
The story that came out of the Chronicle has been proven to be a total fabrication. In their own words, the Chronicle have made an apology for their lie. In page two of the Thursday, Novemeber 2, edition the Chronicle, the newspaper says:
“In a story entitled ‘MP calls for bedroom sanctions’ published in the Chronicle of Tuesday, November 2, 2011, we quoted the MDC secretary general as having blasted people of Matabeleland as lacking political ambition. We erroneously quoted her as having said ‘something is wrong with the people from this region. Why do you always fight to become deputies to Shonas? Look at Khuphe the MDC deputy president has lost all her hair fighting to be Tsvangirai’s deputy.’ These words were never said by Mrs Misihairabwi Mushonga and we unreservedly apologise for the anguish and anxiety that might be caused by her.”
So even after the Chronicle has made such a retraction, Tutani of the NewsDay still wants to make a big issue out of a lie and thus promote alarm and despondency. It is common cause that Tutani, whose articles are limited in substance, wants to behave like a guerrilla columnist attacking everyone left right and centre and denying them the right to a response. Such kind of abuse of media space by people like Tutani flies in the face of the very struggles that Zimbabweans went to trenches for to ensure that we enjoy media freedom and plurality.
If people like Tutani would pound on other Zimbabweans on his columns every Friday and fail to give them the space to respond, where then is professionalism in their publications? Tutani should give himself time to think before putting pen to paper otherwise he is a big disgrace to the NewsDay. I am surprised that Brian Mangwende, an experienced editor, would allow the newspaper to have a one way engagement . I think it’s time that he makes a self-introspection and realises that it does not help his paper to grow if he makes it a conveyor belt of one section of ideas and shuts out all other ideas.
I find it strange that Tutani has found it relevant to fuel a discussion over an issue that has been closed, which was proved a lie the moment the first offending Chronicle publication flew off the printing press.
Tutani wants to incite women’s groups to do something about nothing. If people have nothing to write, they should not just fulfil a fixture. The writings that come to the public space should clearly be of value and based on facts and not this ranting by Tutani. People like Tutani who hate Misihairabwi-Mushonga for being resolute in her pronouncements that all regions should get equal share from the national cake thought they had for the first time caught her offside and thus wanted to use the allegations to crucify her.
Three weeks ago, I challenged Tutani to publish an article that responded to issues he raised in his column on regionalism and up to now he has not. All he could do was to send me an email trying to patronise me and playing a tribal card by telling me that he is of Nguni origin. If he is Nguni, so what?
The Voluntary Media Council, JOMIC and the Zimbabwe Media Commission are definitely going to receive a complaint from us about Tutani and NewsDay’s irresponsible behaviour.
Qhubani Moyo is the National Organising Secretary of the MDC led by Professor Welshman Ncube
Labels: MEDIA, PRISCILLA MISIHAIRABWI, THOKOZANE KHUPE
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Mutambara now represents Zanu PF: MDC
by Staff Reporter
10/02/2011 00:00:00
ARTHUR Mutambara’s membership of the MDC was revoked at an emergency meeting of the party’s national council on Thursday, but the party resolved to let him stay on as Deputy Prime Minister in the unity government, but not on its ticket.
The MDC said it took the position after
President Robert Mugabe told the party’s newly-elected leader Welshman Ncube “in no uncertain terms” on Wednesday that he would not swear him in as Deputy Prime Minister.
Now the MDC says it considers Mutambara a Zanu PF member, and would be seeking an amendment to the 2008 power sharing pact, known as the Global Political Agreement, to reflect that.
MDC secretary general Priscilla Misihairabwi, speaking after the party’s national council voted by a two thirds majority to expel Mutambara, said they would be writing to South African President Jacob Zuma – the regionally-appointed mediator in Zimbabwe – to seek the amendment.
Misihairabwi said Ncube met Mugabe a second time this week on Wednesday and the President made it clear he wanted Mutambara to stay.
“President Mugabe said ‘you can tell your national council that mina (me) as Robert Mugabe angifuni (I don’t want)’,” she said.
“Interestingly, he said go and fight and defeat him. When Ncube pointed out that Mutambara was defeated at congress, he said go and fight him in court,” she said.
She said Mutambara was not his own man as it was clear he had been consulting and seeking advice from Mugabe.
“We are now saying given Mugabe’s stance, they [Zanu PF] can have that position that was allocated to us, so that Mutambara becomes their Deputy Prime Minister. We have effectively donated the DPM post and Mutambara to Zanu PF,” she said.
MDC secretary for legal affairs David Coltart said the party took the decision not to fight for the DPM post after the realisation that a buy-in from other GPA principals was needed if they were to remove Mutambara.
“Courts are also used as a delay mechanism to delay political goals,” he said.
Misihairabwi said they would not be seeking to occupy the deputy premiership and would now focus on rebuilding their party and preparing for elections.
"We want to give Arthur the position that he so desperately wants and hopefully we will have less public fights than we are having because we know its driven by him wanting to be Deputy Prime Minister. He said it to me personally."
The GPA, signed in September 2008, allocated Zanu PF the presidency and two vice presidents; the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC the premiership and a deputy premiership and the Mutambara-led MDC a deputy premiership.
The parties also allocated ministerial portfolios to reflect the March 2008 general election vote share, with Zanu PF getting 15, Tsvangirai's MDC 13 and the Mutambara MDC three.
But with all the MDC's three ministers -- Ncube, Misihairabwi and David Coltart -- at Thursday's national council meeting, the party says Mutambara will not speak for it in government.
Only on Wednesday, Mutambara had tried to pre-empt his expulsion by purporting to fire Ncube. But it was immediately pointed out that he has no such authority under the party's constitution.
Mutambara, who led the party since 2006, resisted attempts to move him over and make him Minister for Regional Integration, with Ncube replacing him as Deputy Prime Minister.
The robotics professor claimed that as a signatory to the GPA, his position was guaranteed and he should be allowed to stay on for the life of the unity government.
Labels: ARTHUR MUTAMBARA, DAVID COLTART, MDC, PRISCILLA MISIHAIRABWI, WELSHMAN NCUBE, ZANU-PF
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MDC national council fires Mutambara
By: Nancy Pasipanodya
Posted: Friday, February 11, 2011 3:17 am
ONLY a day after reclaiming the presidency of the smaller formation of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Zimbabwe's Deputy Prime Minister was on Thursday fired from the party by the new national council of that party.
Professor Arthur Mutambara, who on Wednesday took a pre-emptive move to fire Welshman Ncube who was elected as the new MDC leader in January this year. Mutambara was fired for defying the formation's decision to recall him from his post as Deputy PM in the inclusive Government to pave way for the new leader, Ncube.
The party's new Secretary General, Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, speaking after the party’s national council voted to expel Mutambara, said they will now be writing to Zimbabwe mediator South African President Jacob Zuma to seek an amendment to the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
"We want to give Arthur (Mutambara) the position that he so desperately wants and hopefully we will have less public fights than we are having because we know its driven by him wanting to be deputy prime minister. He said it to me personally," said Misihairabwi-Mushonga.
The position of DPM was created under the GPA, and has to be filled by the leader of the MDC formation.
Mutambara had occupied that post by virtue of his leadership and had to relinquish that post for the new leader of that MDC formation.
On Thursday Ncube indicated that he will no longer contest to be sworn in as deputy prime minister, but also reiterated that Mutambara would not be representing the MDC in the inclusive Government.
The MDC national council says it now considers Mutambara a Zanu-PF member and will not be redeploying him to a lesser ministerial post, as they had indicated earlier.
Labels: ARTHUR MUTAMBARA, MDC, PRISCILLA MISIHAIRABWI, WELSHMAN NCUBE, ZANU-PF
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Zimbabwe not like Kenya, Cote d'Ivoire: Minister
By: TH-TZG
Posted: Thursday, February 10, 2011 12:00 am
REGIONAL Integration and International Co-operation Minister Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga has defended Zimbabwe’s decision to solve its own internal politics by adopting the Global Political Agreement under the watchful eye of Sadc member states.
The Minister, who is attending the African Capacity Building Foundation’s 20th Anniversary, was responding to humiliating examples of leadership failure by some panelists who were using Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ivory Coast as an example of their presentations.
“It is very disheartening and sad that a number of speakers who have been speaking here are not familiar with the reality of Zimbabwean politics and what is happening in Zimbabwe right now.
“It is rather unfair for speakers to use Zimbabwe as an example of political chaos at par with Ivory Coast and Kenya.
“Zimbabwe is a very sovereign state and I must make it clear that under the spirit of regional integration, we ceded our national sovereignty for regional sovereignty and submitted to Sadc mediation.
“I am actually surprised that professionals speaking here think Zimbabwe’s politics were actually the same as what happened in Kenya and what has been happening in the Ivory Coast,” she said.
Added Minister Misihairabwi-Mushonga: “Actually, Zimbabwe is a perfect case study of a sovereignty ceded to a regional sovereignty and not the opposite as what is being said here about our country”.
She was one of the key panelists at a panel session held under the theme: “Africa at 50-Aid, sovereignty & regional integration: The Miracle and the Mirage.”
The ACBF which is headquartered in Zimbabwe is celebrating 20 years of capacity building in Africa.
Addressing delegates, ACBF executive secretary Dr Frannie Leautier said since its inception, the ACBF has 238 programmes and projects in 44 African countries including Zimbabwe.
To date, the ACBF has spent over US$350 million in the various capacity building programmes and projects on the continent. She added that over the next 20 years, the ACBF will leverage the lessons learned and the region’s successes.
The 20th anniversary brought together heads of multi-lateral lending financial institutions from the World Bank, African Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Monetary Fund and ministers of finance from all over Africa.
Labels: AFRICAN CAPACITY BUILDING FOUNDATION, PRISCILLA MISIHAIRABWI, PROPAGANDA
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COMMENT -
Misihairabwi said she took the step after people close to her were “harassed and intimidated by state agents
Is minister Misihairabwi (MDC) saying that the
MDC is using state agents to settle personal scores?
Hounded Misihairabwi gives up Mushonga estate
by Lebo Nkatazo
19/05/2010 00:00:00
REGIONAL Integration Minister Priscilla Misihairabwi has signed off her interest in her late husband’s estate after being hounded by his relatives and children.
Misihairabwi said she took the step after people close to her were “harassed and intimidated by state agents” purportedly working on behalf of the late Chris Mushonga’s children and brother.
“I have decided to relinquish any claim or right to the estate as defined in the late Dr Mushonga’s last Will and Testament,” Misihairabwi told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday.
The minister, who was married to the orthopaedic surgeon for 13 years, said she will give up the matrimonial home in Mt Pleasant along with two other properties – offices on Harare’s Fife Avenue and an apartment in Northworld.
Misihairabwi said she would also turn over any funds left in their local joint accounts as well as Mushonga’s foreign currency accounts in Jersey and England.
She is also handing over a Mercedes which her late husband said in his will must be given to his son from another marriage, Munemo.
Mushonga died on August 15, three weeks after he was brutally attacked, along with a maid, at the couple’s Mt Pleasant home in an apparent armed robbery. The minister was on a world tour with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at the time.
Police arrested a seven-man gang -- Makaika Milanzi, 33, Assan Chikwada, 29, Tichaona Soda, 31, Crispen Sibanda, 50, Antony Khumbula, 31, Steven Zvinoseva, 26 and Tendai Jongwe, 38 -- who all face murder charges.
But Misihairabwi said since burying her husband, she has never known peace. Mushonga’s nine children from another marriage -- Munemo, Tawengwa, Sekai, Nyarai, Ndambi, Musodzi, Pfumojena, Takudzwa and Hazviperi Oprah – came out with their own separate will which they said gave different directions on the transfer of property after his death.
The final straw, Misihairabwi said, was when an aide Rudairo Chitseko was visited by plain clothes police officers at 4.30AM last Thursday who said they had an instruction from a Sergeant Sipurai of the Commercial Crimes Unit to arrest her.
Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri intervened in the matter, demanding to know why police were involving themselves in matters which are before the civil courts, according to Misihairabwi. Chitseko was never charged.
The minister said: “It is events such as these that have made me take this decision, inspite of what I believe is a right of surviving spouses in this country to live in peace and be protected from abuse after the death of their husbands.”
She said she was withdrawing any interest in Mushonga’s estate to avoid “putting lives of innocent people at risk”, adding: “I would prefer to become just another statistic as a victim of a society that unfortunately has failed not only to protect me but to provide protection to a majority of widows that must face this abuse everyday.”
She hoped her move would “close the debate and discussion over my late husband’s estate whose legacy should be that of a loving husband and a great orthopaedic surgeon whose contribution to this country goes beyond a house and a few dollars.”
Labels: CORRUPTION, INHERITANCE, MDC CORRUPTION, PRISCILLA MISIHAIRABWI
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