MDC UK executive apologises over rally venue

Ephraim Tapa

27 June 2007

Dear All

We wish to thank you all for turning up to listen to the President Mr Morgan R. Tsvangirai in Luton. It was indeed a hard sacrifice on the part of the plus one thousand who came to Lewsey Centre in Luton to listen to him. We are aware of the fact that people leave their jobs, and their time with loved ones to attend to an event they clearly attach significance to as one of the most important in their histories.

Such sacrifices can never be marginalised and I will indeed come back to you at this moment in the same way that I, on behalf of my colleagues in MDC UK and Ireland requested your presence, to say even in future please continue to support the cause for your country in the same way that you showed yesterday. Zimbabwe is our country and as indeed was nailed by the President of the MDC himself, we should all do our part as we are our own liberators.

There was such a presence of this awareness in all those who attended, an awareness that showed with fierce resilience given the length of this struggle and the brutality that we have all received at the hands of ZANU PF. This fierce resistance was also evident in the fact that people decided to travel very long distances at their own expenses. Some came from Scotland, from Wales, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and many other places very far away. I personally counted three buses and I lost count of the numerous cars that were there. It was just an unbelievable sight to see.

Yet there was also an eye soaring presence of a number of those who did not make it into the Hall, honestly speaking more people stood outside having failed to secure access into the Hall. PLEASE ACCEPT THE APOLOGIES THAT HAVE SURELY BEEN VERY SLOW IN COMING BUT THAT YOU REALLY DESERVE. IT IS NOT EXPLICABLE THAT PEOPLE TRAVELLED FROM THAT FAR AND MADE THE SACRIFICES THAT IN THEMSELVES ARE INNUMERABLE, ONLY TO FAIL TO HEAR THE MAIN SPEAKER.

I HOPE ALL OF US IN THE EXECUTIVE WILL FIND SOLACE AND CONFIDENCE IN THE MATURITY THAT FOLLOWED THIS AS THOUGH PEOPLE HAD BEEN CLEARLY INCONVENIENCED YOU REMAINED HUMBLE AND AVOIDED THE CLEAR TEMPTATION TO VENT YOUR ANGER OUT. I was even more humbled with the greetings I personally got from the public, most of you still afforded to smile and that touched me a lot. One thing I learnt the Party is really disciplined.

The issue of the venue is a collective oversight which is not going to be repeated. The MDC in the UK and Ireland has really grown and we should have anticipated this in our forward planning. This was not even helped by the fact that we had to change from an earlier venue and and there had been a report earlier in the week to the effect that the Rally had been cancelled. This is a learning process. There is a now a corrective measure that is being worked on and this will be communicated to you in due cause. But I am sure you will join me in the celebration of the fact that our numbers continue to grow and the oversight is really as a result of being caught unawares.

Once again many thanks and continue supporting the cause you believe in

Many Thanks

Ephraim Tapa
Chairperson MDC UK & Ireland

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