Chamisa blames Mnangagwa for failing to avoid Cyclone Idai

Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC-A) leader Nelson Chamisa has made sensational claims that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration  failed to avert Cylone Idai that left hundreds of people dead in Manicaland Province.

The astonishing claims were an insinuation that Chamisa was vesting Mnangagwa with the role of ‘god’ since a cyclone is a natural phenomenon that cannot be stopped by a human being.

Chamisa made the claims while addressing people who had gathered for   Worker’s Day commemorations organised by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) at Dzivarasekwa stadium on May Day.

Said Chamisa:

“If the government was effective we would not be seeing potholes on our roads  and we would not have witnessed even Cyclone Idai.

“Adequate planning will avert disasters but the crisis in Mnangagwa’s government is not to plan but it plots to arrest people.”

Political analysts said Chamisa’s claim was far -fetched.

“Mr Chamisa’s claims are not only far-fetched but illogical.

“No human being has powers to avert a natural disaster

“What the government can do is to mitigate the impact of the cyclone like what the government did and continues to do.

“For instance, President Mnangagwa met chiefs in Manicaland on Tuesday and advised them that government has identified land to relocate people who were displaced by Cyclone Idai and those who might still be in areas prone to natural disasters.

Chamisa’s statement is therefore ill advised,” said political analyst John Muchenje.

At the same event, Chamisa also took the opportunity to castigate the government for arbitrary arrests of trade unionists – a backbone of the MDC.  

He said ZCTU is not trying to remove the government because the ZANU PF led government was removed through its defeat in the elections.

“We don’t want workers’ representatives to be arrested when they are doing the job that they were send to do

“They accuse Mr Mutasa (Peter) of trying to remove the government.

“Who on earth will try to remove a system that was removed long ago.

“ Mr Mutasa you should not tolerate such petty crimes,” said Chamisa.

He said the ZCTU should not be criminalized as the body gives ‘an early warning sign of destabilisation’  in  the country.

 “We are not sponsored by anyone, we are coordinated by poverty, mobilised by unemployment and sponsored by hunger,” said Chamisa amid applause from the handful crowd.

The opposition leader also lamented over the   continuous abuse of  workers through denying them their rights and by giving them salaries that are already eroded before they are in the bank accounts.

 He further said all workers are the same and should be treated with respect and equality.

Meanwhile, leaders of the ZCTU are currently on trial on allegations of   trying to subvert the government after they organized demonstrations against fuel price increases in October last year and January this year.

The ZCTU secretary general Japhet Moyo attended the workers day commemorations wearing prison garb as a sign of protest against the arbitrary arrest of trade union leaders in the country.

Speaking to this publication, Moyo said he had chosen to wear the prison regalia as a symbol of the abuse of trade unionists.

“Zimbabwe and people should not be scared to express their views.

“In Zimbabwe when you are arrested it’s a symbol that you have been tamed, when I have this (prison garb) it’s a sign that I am not a criminal.

“It’s like I don’t have rights of my own but that is wrong, the public should not be scared of seeing me putting on this because I am still a human,” he said.