MDC President, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has dismissed allegations by army generals that the leading opposition party has a military wing, saying Zimbabwe has one army he is proud of for serving the cause of the people.
Addressing thousands of party followers at a ‘Thank You Rally’ in Chinhoyi yesterday, Chamisa also defended his party deputy chairperson Tendai Biti, currently before the courts for inciting violence saying he is a sober man being persecuted for no reason.
“Biti was born with some combatant features and they now think he wants war. He is a very sober man and the state must understand him because that is how he was born.
“He is not a violent man. Biti is a democrat. Biti is a peacemaker like all of us. But I don’t know why they have persecuted and victimized people who want to take the country forward,” said Chamisa.
He expressed shock at the perceptions created by army and police bosses who told the Commission of Inquiry into 1st of violence that his party has a parallel army.
“I was so shocked to hear the army leaders saying the MDC has an army. We have one army in this country. We are proud of the national army serving the cause of the people because it’s a badge of patriotism.
“We are not like Yemen or Syria where we have two armies. There is one army, the Zimbabwe National Army. This is the people’s army. That is our army and we don’t expect that army to speak on behalf of a party or to campaign for a party,” he added.
Making their submissions before the commission of inquiry last week, Commissioner General of Police and Army Commander, General Phillip Valerio Sibanda fingered accused the MDC of having a military wing named Vanguard, used to perpetrate violence on the 1st of August.
The MDC has previously announced that the Vanguard was disbanded in March soon after the burial of their founding President, Morgan Tsvangirai.
Chamisa is on national tour meeting his supporters in preparation for what he dubbed mother of all demonstration against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration over the economic failure and the disputed July 30 presidential elections
