My dear comrades, I would like to wish you all a happy New year of 2021. The year 2020 was loaded with challenges for families , churches , political parties and the whole world at large. As MDC Alliance Reading chair person, it is my wish that this new year will bring peace and more energy to fight the Zanu pf government which has made Zimbabweans lives more miserable in the midst of Covid 19.
In 2020 , as a party we lost our dear and dedicated cadres, we also saw our three sister being abducted and were in turn charged by the government for faking abduction. In the same year , journalism became more criminalised as a popular journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was in and out of prison several times and denied bail . Citizens were denied the right to protest peacefully and police were used to block any gatherings . The 31 July 2020 demonstration for Zimbabweans lives matter is just but one of the many rights squashed by the Zanu pf government. Despite all these hardships and evil plans by the government of Zimbabwe, MDC Alliance family remained solid and focused to soldier on.
As part of the struggle, Reading Branch worked tirelessly even in the pandemic era, every little effort helped to keep our colleagues back home to empower them with self help project. Marondera Central Constituency ward 11 chicken project is one big project that we achieved as a group, in addition, the youth of Reading Branch together with the help of senior members fundraised and supported the Manicaland youth acquire PPE and made sure they got 200 branded masks. They managed to carry on with the campaigns safely to spread and educate people in the rural areas where intimidation is mainly used by Zanu pf government due to lack of proper information.
This new year 2021, it is my hope that more projects will be funded and also more true information will be spread through out the country. Let’s stay focused and fight the old regime of Zanu pf government. Military government of Mnangagwa needs to go as it has failed to resuscitate the economy of Zimbabwe.
By Charles Mararirakwenda
MDC ALLIANCE READING BRANCH CHAIR