MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora has been given a farm and a brand-new Mercedes-Benz by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.
Mwonzora’s new 400-hectare farm is located in Nyanga.
His spokesperson, Lloyd Damba, confirmed the developments to The NewsHawks.
Damba explained that the Mercedes-Benz was part of Mwonzora’s entitlement package as leader of the opposition in Parliament. He added:
As for the farm, he had long applied for it and so deserved to be allocated. For the record, the MDC in 2014 at its congress resolved that it will support the land reform.
It was one of the resolutions, so that is why he applied for land and now he has been given the farm.
The resolution which Damba referred to was passed at the 2014 MDC-T congress held at City Sports Centre in Harare from 31 October to 1 November, which reads:
The party noted the disorder in the land sector, rising food insecurity and the partisan nature of land distribution. Congress, therefore, resolved that the MDC-T supports land redistribution to the people and not to ZANU PF chefs.
The NewsHawks, however, suggests the farm and vehicle are Mnangagwa’s reward to Mwonzora for his role in his political plot to destroy the real opposition.
The publication cites several incidents of Mwonzora’s alleged collaboration with the ZANU PF-led government to weaken the opposition.
In 2021, Mwonzora assisted Mnangagwa to consolidate power by supporting the passing of the controversial Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 1) Bill and Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.2) Bill.
The amendment allowed the President to concentrate power in his hands while undermining other arms of the state, notably the judiciary and the legislature.
It enabled Mnangagwa to extend Chief Justice Luke Malaba’s term beyond 70, enabling him to be in office during the 2023 elections.
It also allowed the President to remove the running mate close, thereby removing direct threats to his position as he now has the prerogative to select his deputies and not the electorate.
Before that, Mwonzora had taken over the opposition’s headquarters, Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House and other assets, with the help of the security forces.
Mwonzora also recalled from Parliament several MDC-Alliance legislators who had sided with CCC leader Nelson Chamisa before finally grabbing the party name.
Chamisa was left with no offices and identity, prompting him to launch another party, the Citizens’ Coalition for Change early this year.