Zimpapers Logo

Morgan Tsvangirai

Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
DESPERATE MDC-T has launched a crusade named #My Zimbabwe campaign, apparently to counter Pastor Evan Mawarire’s #ThisFlag movement which has overshadowed opposition parties on social media. This follows MDC-T’s president Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s shock appointment of two additional vice-presidents, Engineer Elias Mudzuri and Mr Nelson Chamisa recently.

Political analyst Mr Richard Mahomva described the MDC-T Youth Assembly’s move as a desperate effort by a political party which has a weak political ideology. Mr Mahomva said the MDC-T’s youths initiative was a much-ado-about-nothing campaign by an attention-seeking party.

“Not only is it a sick way of attention-seeking, but it’s also a naked sign of the fractured state of opposition political parties’ relevance. As such they are now competing for attention with unstructured bandwagons,” said Mr Mahomva. He said campaigns are becoming a new way of communicating grievances in the country.

“I think the #My Zimbabwe campaign is nothing but a mere response to the recently held Zanu-PF youth march contesting #ThisFlag campaign. I strongly believe that generally demonstrations are slowly coming in as a medium of communicating political difference in Zimbabwe,” said Mahomva.

In a statement yesterday, the MDC-T Youth Assembly claimed that the prevailing political environment had forced them to join online political campaigns.

“#MYZIMBABWE Campaign, speaks to our love and patriotism to this country. We have been left with no choice but to start a campaign whose mission is to liberate our Zimbabwe from a clueless and greedy clique that only thinks about itself and nothing else,” reads their statement.

“We urge all citizens to embrace the month of heroes, the month of August as a month of action to liberate ourselves from Robert Mugabe. This country will remain ungovernable as long as Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF does not heed the call.”

This comes following a campaign by Pastor Mawarire who also launched a #ThisFlag campaign trending on Twitter drawing some sympathisers on social media and the Western world. Analysts say the MDC-T fears that donors could withdraw funding threatening the party’s existence hence the launch of the social media campaign.