Zimbabwe. ZANU PF politburo member Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu on Monday said the move by the MDC Renewal Team to denounce the national anthem at their weekend meeting in Bulawayo shows that they are immature political clowns.
The party which held a meeting of its structures at Stanley Hall on Sunday sang Nkosi sikelel’I Africa at the beginning of proceedings shunning the national anthem.
Chairperson of the MDC Renewal Bulawayo provincial working group Kucaca Phulu said they sang the anthem to symbolise that the country was not yet free from slavery.
Dr Ndlovu charged at the Renewal Team saying they were employing student politics.
“As long as they are citizens of Zimbabwe which won its independence through the liberation struggle that culminated in the hoisting of the national flag, they are required to abide by the national anthem,” said Dr Ndlovu.
“They are required to respect the national flag and national anthem. They benefitted from the liberation that we brought about through the war and are now abusing those very liberties.
“They must be political clowns. They are using the platforms brought about by democracy to denounce their country. They are denouncing themselves. Unless if they are Rhodesians, we expect every Zimbabwean citizen to respect the national anthem.”
Dr Ndlovu said the likes of Tendai Biti, one of the MDC Renewal Team leaders were still at the University of Zimbabwe when he was the minister of Higher and Tertiary Education.
“They are still stuck in student politics and refusing to grow up. They should mature and start acting like adults,” said Dr Ndlovu.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of Sunday’s meeting, MDC Renewal spokesperson Jacob Mafume dismissed reports that the party’s formation was a culmination of personal differences between Biti and MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
“There is no personality difference between Biti and Tsvangirai. It is Tsvangirai who has personalised the struggle. He fought but his time is up and has to make way for fresh blood and fresh ideas,” said Mafume.
“He has spent 15 years at the helm but nothing has been achieved. The struggle now needs people with fresh ideas on how to address the challenges that the country is facing now.
“Tsvangirai is the one taking things personally and wants to cling on to power for his own personal interests.”
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