"This afternoon we approached ZEC to give them what they didn't except. They thought we were approaching as MDC-A, but we were approaching as a new organisation. They kept insisting, we know you as MDC-A. We are a new organisation."
"We are coming as a new entity, with a new leadership, new values, new structures. ZEC kept saying: 'tell us you're rebranding'. We are not rebranding. If you know MDC as a brand, please dine with those you've given the name MDC-ALLIANCE."
"We are starting a new party. Nothing to do with the past, nothing to do with the yesterday. We are starting afresh. We'll build from ground zero. We will start afresh. We will defeat them like we did in 2018. We will start afresh."
"...ZEC wasn't taking it. They had meeting after meeting with our senior leadership. We've given them our new logo, new name, new thrust and new leadership, except our new strategy. Everything else, we've given them in terms of the dictates of the law."
"We are excepting ZEC to cooperate. We are even ready with our candidates. They recalled our old candidates, but we've come up with new candidates. Some of them were in the previous organisation, but they are new. ZEC finally received our papers."
"We've new everything. New headquarters, new name, new constitution, new mindset, new thrust, new focus & a new philosophy. The philosophy being to focus on the CITIZEN. Making sure the citizen is back at the center & responsible for decision & policy making"
"Where you have politicians taking over, we want the citizen to come back so that we displace politicians & replace them with the citizen. That's who we are. Behold the new, the new is upon us. We've built the new, it is here and you will see it."
"We have listened to the people who have told us, please leave the dirty past and focus on building a new, fresh future, and I'm the face of that future, ready to lead the charge until such a time when that honour and responsibility is give to others"
"Our key thrust is to deliver the platform of transformation. We don't want any confusion. Those other people came after our name & thought they had taken MDC, our headquarters, our MPs, our finances & taken Tsvangirai. We said, have it."
"They've taken everything, but thank God we still have ourselves. We've lost everything except ourselves, that's why we're building on e basis of ourselves, nothing 2do with the past or any wrangles. If u want MDC-A, take it, if u want ourselves, tough luck"
"We can't be purchased. We're convinced that our conviction to bring change to Zimbabwe is unshakeable & indomitable. Zimbabwean citizens know who their leaders are. They know who champions the struggle for better wages, students & women struggles."
"The citizens know who is the face & voice of hope. Those in Zanu know it, that's why even after stripping us naked, they still come to us & we say go to those you've given borrowed robs. They don't even believe in those robes. They still want us, even naked"
"We are chatting a new course, & today I represent that new dawn, a bright future, a start of a new trajectory in Zimbabwe. We are the gold standard & a reminder that its possible for the sun to shine once more & once again in Zimbabwe, & it will shine"
"We are not just having a new name. We are having a new entity and new organisation & a new people. We've left the vices and transgressions of yesteryear. We represent hope, happiness, joy, freedom, ideas, solutions. Hope is our new name."
"We are going to share a new vision for a Great Zimbabwe. A vision that spells glory for every citizen & those who matter to care, including those in politics, but the beginning is to do with transformation which begins when we transform from within."
"Toxicity and negativity has destroyed the fibre of our country. We will transform our values, our norms & how we approach things. We'll transform lives in communities, in the country."
"Because we are building a new, we are also in the process of building a A TEAM, a team that cannot be defeated. 2023 is already a done deal, that's why they are jumping from pillar to post, they know that the game is on, and the A TEAM is ready."
"The by-election is a side meal & because we are bracing for the big feast, we'll go for that side meal as a starter, but never mistake the starter for the main meal. The main meal is in 2023 and we are ready."
"Yes we'll share our vision and our dream. We'll build the momentum in the country, which is already there. I've listened to warvets, traditional leaders, farmers, business people & they've told me, 'we want a new game in town, help us'.
"We need to restore the dignity of our people, which is restored by having an organized institution, away from the clutter & confusion that you've seen. Mr ED thank you, you've helped us clean our basket. All the bad apples you've taken, enjoy the meal"
"Our central philosophy is having citizens back at the center. The liberation struggle was about the citizen, 1 man 1 vote; about the sovereignty of the pple, the decision of the pple being allowed to take center stage. Son of the soil was about the citizen"
"The politician has replaced the citizen. We want to remove the politician from the center of decision, policy & law making, so that we have the citizen. The politician must be the servant, not the master, & the citizen must be the master, not the servant."
"It's not going 2be easy. It takes a lot of sacrifice & pain by those used to the old ways. Ofcourse you can't teach old dogs new tricks, but there's time an old dog has to be new in its approach, & that's where we are going, from a leadership point of view."
"Our phiolosophy is citizen based. Our party is restoring the dignity, integrity, responsibility, authority, voice & decency of voters. Citizens are the engine that turn turbines of any nation. When you get citizens in right mode, reconstruction becomes easy"
"We must listen to citizens. That's why our new outfit has a perfect & beautiful name. Beautiful to even have a meal with. The CITIZEN COALITION FOR CHANGE (@CCCZimbabwe). We've left everything. Colour red, take it, we have a new colour in town, Hello Yellow"
"We are #1 in this country, that's why we have been fought, because Champions are fought by mediocrity. We are number 1. You can't stop us, we are #1. It's a done deal. That's the new direction. We'll unveil programs, but its a big tent, big omnibus."
"Come let us reason together. Join this great movement, an elephant organisation. Nomore are we doing "chisa", we've moved. It's part of our history, nolonger part of the future. The MDC in its old, current & future state cant be the gov of this country."
"The future is here. We represent the new gov, & we're ready to lead. Thank you Zimbabwe for your patience, I appreciate. You wanted to see the baby &, it's the CITIZEN COALITION FOR CHANGE. Citizens are coming together, its a citizen affair & indaba"
"It's a citizens way to say we want Change in Zimbabwe. Farmers, teachers, lawyers, accountants, miners, vendors, workers, the church, we want to see what you're doing for change. Let us be organised for change."
"We are participating in the by-elections to test our systems & expose those biased. We'll be checking on ZEC & won't allow them to join the other team. If they do so, they're setting the country in a irretrievable motion. It's not a threat, but a promise."
"We'll not repeat the mistakes of what we did, where after winning, you abuse us. Mnangagwa didn't win, but was saved by the courts. He has suffered from illegitimacy, that's why he can't solve problems in this country. ED has squandered every chance."
Truth is, the ructions & consequent split of the judicial construct comes as no surprise.
From the get to, faulty lines where always there for all to see.
The MDC-T never had an ideology foundation nor identifiable political constituency to build on.
MDC-T was reconstructed by the regime for the sole purpose of disrupting MDC-A political programs
ZanuPF attempted different ideas aimed at dismantling MDC-A & isolating NC.
Reconstructing MDC-T was part of those efforts to leave the MDC-A internally focused
3] On their part, those who jumped to the reconstructed MDC-T had two things in common.
Firstly, they had all lost different positions (save for Mupariwa), at the Gweru Congress.
Secondly, they all wanted the puppet party Presidency.
"..they speak of deprivation; general poverty; families going for weeks without access to a single dollar; frustrations over lack of access to seeds & fertilisers; enduring political manipulation. Its not a pleasing picture"
"We always communicate hope, that it is within our power to change the condition of our people & ourselves. That it is the essence of democracy that we don't need to take guns or fight anyone. All we need it to be committed to the democratic processes."
"No matter how difficult the processes are made out to be, we need to keep encouraging people and traditional leaders to encourage their people to register to vote & seek peaceful transition, that their vote will count one day and that we'll have change."
"Nomination court is coming. We've candidates. We've 2 months before by-elections & that's more than enough. That's almost the same period between which the party changed its name to MDC-A. Pple will be told, & have no confusion around who their leaders are"
"People know that Pres @nelsonchamisa is the leader of our movement. People know the real @mdczimbabwe leaders who were recalled; those who are with them in the communities; those who continue to champion their rights. They've no confusion about that. "
" Be patient. The strategy will unfold. We are dealing with a very sophisticated dictatorship. It's critical to remember this isn't the first time the MDC has had to deal with these issues. It's be done in the past & we've learnt many lesson."
"I do not belong to any of your (MDC-T) structures. I hope you will assist by removing my name. I do not want to embarrass myself, it’s better to continue with my work in council than to get two votes."
" I cannot stand for Mwonzora. They do not know me and I have never attended any of their meetings. I am not part of them and I won’t do that. Of course, I am popular in the ward, but I cannot represent Mwonzora.”