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Mr Nelson Chamisa

Innocent Ruwende/Zvamaida Murwira
Political analysts yesterday dismissed the MDC-T Alliance manifesto titled the “New Zimbabwe Pledge for a Sustainable and Modernisation Agenda for Real Transformation” (SMART) as a mere duplication of Zanu PF policies since 2013.

The party launched the manifesto at Jubilee Centre in Harare.

SMART is anchored on five pillars namely smart governance, nation building and the consensus state, smart sustainable, shared and inclusive economy, smart citizen rights, interests and protection, smart social justice and delivery and smart reconstruction and remodelling of the country’s infrastructure.

The alliance has Mr Nelson Chamisa as its presidential candidate.

Analysts say most of the items were taken from Zanu-PF’s Zim-Asset and its recent manifesto.

Political analyst Mr Richard Mahomva said the MDC Alliance blue print was a mimic of Zanu PF policies since 2013.

“The idea of SMART is problematic because it speaks of the agenda of transformation which is synonymous with Zanu-PF’s blue-print the Zim-Asset. So it is a regurgitation of what scaled Zanu PF into power,” he said.

“When you read the Zanu-PF manifesto it takes you into a gallery of renaissance. In SMART there is a mimic of the Zanu-PF prospectus which came much earlier. The MDC Alliance’s late release was convenient and strategic.”

He said the voter and sharp analytical minds would have expected Mr Chamisa’s manifesto to be entrenched in generational renewal in line with the rhetoric of generational consensus.

Mr Mahomva said Mr Chamisa like the Zanu-PF G40 tried to use the youth demographic dividend to ascent to power.

Another political analyst, Mr Alexander Rusero, said the MDC-T manifesto showed that the opposition had run out of ideas after the new dispensation led by President Mnangagwa filled the gaps that they historically capitalised on.

“Their mantra had been that Mugabe must go, and he has gone. They were saying the country should join the international community and the new administration has re-engaged and they have actually invited the European Union and other Western countries to observe the elections. They have been outmanoeuvred so what the MDC-T is doing is to resort to scale their issues by making unrealistic promises,” said Mr Rusero.

Another analyst, Mr Tawanda Mugwadi, said the manifesto was a regurgitation of Government’s economic blue print Zim-Asset.
Speaking at the manifesto launch, Mr Chamisa who was confident of winning the elections, said he would rename the country to Great Zimbabwe if elected.

Through SMART, the MDC Alliance pledged to trim the size of cabinet to not more than 15 ministers.

Other policies include renaming of provinces, capital cities Harare (commercial), Gweru (administrative) , Bulawayo (industrial) and Mutare (tourism).

The party said it would also introduce a flat corporate tax of 15 percent, remove bond notes and join rand union as well as have a $46 billion economy by 2023 and $100 billion by 2029.