Harare - Zimbabwe’s main opposition political party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, has invited the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) to join Thursday’s peaceful protest march against poverty and corruption.
In a letter to the ZCTU, MDC Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora invited the labour body “to be in solidarity” with the suffering people of Zimbabwe.
“We therefore cordially invite your organisation to be with us in solidarity with the suffering people of Zimbabwe,” Mwonzora wrote in his letter to ZCTU Secretary General Japhet Moyo on 30 March 2016.
The MDC is a brainchild of the ZCTU, with Tsvangirai having been the Secretary General of the trade union body for more than 10 years.
Moyo confirmed receipt of the letter from Mwonzora, but said it was not a policy issue that the ZCTU would go along with whatever the MDC announced, adding that participation in the proposed march would be up to individual members of the organisation.
“We did receive an invitation to participate in the demonstration or march earmarked for the 14th of March by the MDC,” said Moyo.
“While we are not a political party, the ZCTU has shared with other likeminded organisations on the issues affecting the country.
“There are issues where we share with them the same views but we are not going to officially urge all our members to go and join the MDC on the demonstration.”
Moyo also said the ZCTU membership composed of people from different political parties and not all of them were political activists. Some of them belong to the ruling Zanu PF party led by President Robert Mugabe, 92.
“Those who are interested, who share the same view, those who are MDC within our ranks obviously will be happy, but our members who feel that they are not into politics and don’t share the same view are at liberty not to be part of the demonstration,” he said.
African News Agency