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Patrick Chitumba Senior Reporter
THE MDC Renewal Team has denounced plans by MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai to mobilise Zimbabweans to take to the streets in mass protests saying the action would negatively impact the economy and hurt ordinary people.
Addressing a Press conference after the Renewal Team’s first strategic meeting in Bulawayo yesterday, the group’s interim chairperson, Dr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, said mass protests would not achieve anything.

“We don’t believe in taking to the streets. We’re not that (MDC-T) violent formation and we’ll not copy things they do.
“Mass protests are not good for the economy, they are not good for the people of Zimbabwe and we don’t subscribe to that,” he said following a meeting attended by other Renewal Team stalwarts Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma.

Tsvangirai last week told a South African television channel, E-TV’s 360 Degrees programme that his party was working on strategies to force President Mugabe’s government to address the country’s economic challenges. He said the country’s “free falling” economy would likely push the election dates closer than the scheduled 2018. Tsvangirai’s remarks came after he had told party supporters at Mucheke Stadium in Masvingo recently that it was now time to adopt a confrontational approach against the government.

Tsvangirai’s calls for protests have been met with mixed feelings, with some even doubting that he had the capacity to draw any crowds following his rejection by the electorate in successive polls.

This week, United Family International Church leader Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa urged Zimbabweans not to engage in mass protests saying nothing positive would come out from the action.

Observers also doubt Tsvangirai’s motives since the government was on course to resuscitate the economy through several initiatives such as the mega deals struck in China by a high powered government delegation led by President Mugabe and the $3 billion deal signed between the country and Russia for the establishment of a platinum mine in Darwendale. Yesterday, Dr Sipepa-Nkomo said the Renewal Team was going to hold its elective congress in March next year where a new party name and logo might be unveiled.

“If need be, the party name will be changed. It is a complex matter and a decision will be made at the elective congress that we are going to hold next year,” he said.
Dr Sipepa-Nkomo said they were also in talks with other political parties such as the MDC led by Professor Welshman Ncube for a possible coalition.

He said the party’s national executive had been briefed on all talks that had been done with other opposition parties for a grand coalition.
“We are going to boycott the 2018 elections if the electoral reforms are not changed,” said Dr Sipepa-Nkomo adding that the Renewal Team met over the past two days for a strategy session. The meeting was attended by all members of the management committee, national working committee and the provincial chairpersons from all the provinces,” he said.