(Last Updated on November 29, 2020 by Editor)
BULAWAYO – Under fire MDC-Alliance Women’s Assembly Chairperson for Bulawayo Province, Tendai Masotsha says she is taking an “indefinite sabbatical” from active politics and her position in the party, following months of pressure after it emerged that she was allegedly in the same car when Tawanda Muchehiwa was abducted and tortured by suspected state agents.
Masotsha was recently cleared by her party of any involvement in the abduction of Muchehiwa, however, the findings were heavily criticised with others citing that the ad hoc team put to investigate the issue did not interview Muchehiwa or other people who might have provided critical information.
She says the sabbatical is due to the risks that she and her family are facing linked to these events.
“The recent events around my person and my political life have placed my life and that of my family at great risk to the extent that after consultation with my family and have decided to take a sabbatical from active politics until such time that the dangers and my family face can be contained,” says Masotsha in her statement.
She made the statement a few hours after an audio claimed to be her talking was leaked.
In the leaked audio, she alleges that the abduction victim (Muchehiwa) was planning to bomb government buildings together with other unidentified people.
She further adds that she made the decision so that the party can continue with its mandate of fighting for the citizens.
In the audio, Masotsha says if they push her to the corner then she will expose everything that Muchehiwa wanted to do on the day of the 31 July Anti-Corruption protests.
“If they push me to corner, I will be left with no choice but to reveal everything that Tawanda wanted to do on that fateful day.
“Tawanda told me kuti ane20 vanhu vanavo vakamirira kuti vapise magovernment buildings and Tawanda akatumirwa mari from America kuti atenge maexplosives(he has 20 people that he wants to work with to bomb government buildings. Tawanda received money from the United States of America to buy those explosives) said Masotsha in the audio.
She also claims that she didn’t meet the other people but that Muchehiwa was “pushing” her to find a “safe house” where they will be staying as they carry out their plans.
BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT BY TENDAI MASOCHA
PUBLIC STATEMENT BY TENDAI MASOTSHA
The recent events around my person and my political life have placed my life and that of my family at great risk to the extent that after consultation with my family and have decided to take a sabbatical from active politics until such time that the dangers and my family face can be contained .
It has been increasingly clear to me that my case has become a distraction to the real challenges that my party ,the MDC Alliance ,have to confront in it’s political struggles against ZANU (PF) on behalf of the long suffering people of Zimbabwe .It is critically important that I immediately stand aside from active politics so as to allow the party to focus on its core business of opposing ZANU (PF) and mobilising the people against a system that has caused them immeasurable suffering.
In the circumstances ,as of today l am taking an indefinite sabbatical from my position as chairperson of the MDC Alliance Bulawayo Province’s women’s Assembly.I hope in so doing the party will be enabled to refocus on the urgent political tasks of the day and that myself and family will be spared the anguish of the last few months.
In accordance with this public statement, I have written to Honourable Amos Chibaya,the MDC National organising secretary advising of this my decision……..
Tendai Masotsha