Addressing thousands of his supporters at Rudhaka Stadium in Marondera yesterday, Tsvangirai said Mugabe acknowledged that the MDC-T defeated Zanu PF in the 2008 elections.
He said Mugabe should stop dreaming of dying in power as the 92-year-old leader would lose the 2018 elections.
“Mugabe has since acknowledged that I defeated him in 2008 but the question remains, why is he still in power?
“Give power to the mandated person, the person who was elected by the people. The whole world knows of a mandated leader,” he said.
“But the problem is that Mugabe wants to die in power.
“At 94, Mugabe wants to contest? This other day I was with Mugabe at Sheraton [Rainbow Towers Hotel], and he said to me, Tsvangirai will you please watch out this step.
“You will fall down if you are not careful; imagine him saying that to me?”
Tsvangirai added: “The world is asking, are there people in Zimbabwe?
“Are we cowards? When people run away from a neighbourhood police officer, what is that? The message remains the same, Mugabe must go.”
Speaking at the same rally, Tsvangirai’s wife Elizabeth urged youths to go and register ahead of the 2018 elections.
“Please I urge all the youths here to register and vote, it will not help that we come here and speak of winning an election while we are not registered voters,” she said.
“Hunger is there for everybody, whether Zanu PF or MDC we are all affected, it is time to take over and time for change.”
Tsvangirai was in the company of provincial youth league chairperson Happymore Chidziva, among other Mashonaland East party leaders.
The meeting was attended by eight provinces which all backed Mutsvangwa’s leadership of the ex-freedom fighters until the next congress in 2018.
Only Manicaland and Mashonaland Central did not attend the meeting.
Feared Masvingo war veteran Francis Zimuto popularly known as “Black Jesus” declared war on Kasukuwere whom he accused of misleading Mugabe.
“We are going to face Kasukuwere head-on starting tomorrow when he comes to Masvingo; we are ready for him. We will fight for our commander -in-chief Mugabe,” he said.
Relations between war veterans and the First Family became sour when Grace started attacking the former fighters at her countrywide rallies.
The situation worsened when anti-riot police brutally crashed their meeting in Harare with teargas and water cannons.
Mugabe subsequently fired Mutsvangwa as War Veterans minister, accusing him of organising an unsanctioned meeting to denigrate him and his wife.
War veterans are fighting in Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s corner in the race to succeed Mugabe. Mugabe has openly backed G40 in its battle against Mnangagwa’s faction.-Standard
