We will not pull out of the inclusive government: Tsvangirai

MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai has said his party will not pull out of the inclusive Government even if he is arrested or killed.

Mr Tsvangirai said this while addressing his supporters at a rally at White City Stadium yesterday.

"If they arrest me, let me rot in jail. I have been there anyway . . . Even if I am arrested or killed, the MDC should not come out of Government. We cannot be intimidated by anyone and no one has the right to do that. No one can kill anybody, only God can," said Mr Tsvangirai.

He did not specify who wanted to kill him or throw him in jail and for what reasons. He admitted that the inclusive Government was unworkable and said the country was facing a serious crisis.

"We are in a Government that promotes tension among the people yet the whole world and the Sadc are looking at Zimbabwe to stop the suffering of its people," he said.

Mr Tsvangirai said there was need for the parties to work towards holding fresh elections that would do away with the 2008 election impasse, which gave birth to the inclusive Government.

This is despite the fact that MDC-T had been opposed to the holding of elections, which Zanu-PF insists should be held this year.

Mr Tsvangirai said parties in the inclusive Government should engage in dialogue rather than being confrontational.

He said the Government had failed to deliver the expected outcomes and bemoaned the closure of industries in Bulawayo. He said there was need for the Government to protect and promote the growth of existing industries to boost the economy.

Mr Tsvangirai also attacked local authorities, most of which were run by his party for failing to deliver service.

"Local authorities should do everything to deliver, especially on housing. We cannot afford to have people living under squalid conditions like in the Mbuya Nehanda era. Every city must have a housing plan and provide housing to the people," said Mr Tsvangirai. Addressing the same rally, MDC-T officials took turns to attack Brigadier General Douglas Nyikayaramba who, last week criticised the MDC-T leader. The party's women's assembly leader, Mrs Theresa Makone, attacked the public media accusing it of writing negative stories about her party. She said her party had no problems with the service chiefs and accused Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba of provoking it.

"We do not want to be misquoted by the media. We never said we would take the country by the bullet. That was done by the gallant freedom fighters," said Mrs Makone.

"We will take this country by vote. Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba is the one who provoked us by threatening our party. Instead of engaging President Mugabe, we are now engaging Brig Gen Nyikayaramba who behaves as if he is the spokesperson of the military."

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