THE ruling Zanu PF has admitted that the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC-T poses a serious challenge to its bid to retain power in next year’s general elections, describing other opposition parties pushing for a grand coalition with the former premier as “phantom” movements.
BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU/ BLESSED MHLANGA
Zanu PF politburo member and Higher Education minister, Jonathan Moyo, made the observations in a tweet yesterday, saying “a coalition of individuals is no opposition”.
“A grand coalition in Zimbabwe is by definition untenable because there are many opposition individuals, but only one real opposition party, MDC-T,” he tweeted.
“The first rule in electoral strategy is to distinguish between phantom and real opposition.”
Moyo added: “These are just conveniences of opposition individuals; but not political parties, no. We need a functional and non-bambazonke criteria and evidence-based definition of what constitutes an opposition political party.
“What is possible in Zimbabwe is a non-grand coalition of opposition individuals, whose ideology is to share positions before the elections.”
His remarks came hard on the heels of last week’s messy break up of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF), in a development likely to derail coalition talks among opposition leaders.
Moyo dismissed other opposition political parties like ZimPF, Tendai Biti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe (Elton Mangoma), Zapu (Dumiso Dabengwa), MKD (Simba Makoni), MDC (Welshman Ncube), Transform Zimbabwe (Jacob Ngarivhume), Zim First (Maxwell Shumba), as just “convenient homes of individual political players and therefore with no impact”.
MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu said he agreed with Moyo’s assessment, but warned that his party leader would not be blinded from pursuing coalition talks with fellow opposition leaders to dislodge Mugabe.
“In a way, Moyo is on point. We have stated on many times without number that MDC-T is the largest and most popular political party in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“We are the real deal, the only game in town. This is the cold hard fact and none other Moyo appears to be in agreement with us on this one. However, we are not a Big Brother. We are humble, accommodative, magnanimous and patriotic.”
But, PDP spokesperson Jacob Mafume dismissed Moyo, saying his statements were a smokescreen to hoodwink the opposition to dump the proposed coalition project.
“If people cannot see the mischief in the statement by Moyo, then we keep underestimating Zanu PF’s intellectual dictatorship,” he said.
“When a bully says they want to fight you alone, it means they are afraid that you will group up and then fight.
“And when you are goat and you receive praise from a crocodile about the quality of your meat it is time to be very afraid. It is all part of Moyo’s smokes and mirrors game. Coalitions are not of parties alone but of individuals, organisations, students and churches among others.”
Political commentator, Douglas Mandaza, said Moyo could be lulling the opposition to make it lose sight of coalitions.
“It’s a political strategy to make MDC-T more arrogant and believe they can win 2018 without a coalition, MDC’s need to unite at all cost,” he said.
moyo i zanu pf here nyorai chokadi imi he is not the spokes person u need to b taught politics imi haiwawo
Jacob Mafume is spot on. Coalitions harness different capacities. It is not just about numbers there are many other factors that make a coalition a viable strategy for the current Zimbabwean political social and economic landscape. The more the opposition learns to keep some of their strategies under the wraps and be intelligent enough to gauge the timing of when to say certain things the better for us all.
Prof Moyo knows very well that he cannot win the Tsholotsho North Seat if MDC-T & MDC unite. Thus he wants MDC-T to be too egocentric & refuse to unite with other parties so that he wins his seat against a divided opposition.
Don’t be fooled and hoodwinked into believing the inevitable. Igaroziwe
People take heed of Moyos comments , he is simply trying to tell you that a grand coalition may work out for Zimbabwe but only if MDC -T carefully scrutinizes parties which are real and those that are working in cohorts with Zanu Pf. I think those with ears they have heard, Moyo is very diplomatic, he will not tell you things directly but he has said it , those with brains have heard.
Timely indeed! Moyo is taking advantage of the current Zim PF’s squabbles to hatch a noxious plan that will cause dissension within the opposition. He wants to entrench big brother politics within the MDC-T thereby barring the much publicised coalition. Coalition detractors will fight tooth and nail to make sure that it does not see the light of the day.
MAZURI SANA
Moyo was on point to say MDC-T is the only vibrant opposition party in Zim, the rest are political brief cases led by opportunist who want to strategically position themselves for lucrative/influential positions in case a coalition succeed. So, to the MDC-T, i think you should not just join hands with everyone, but look at what value and how much numbers is a potential party bringing in. Most importantly the MDC-T should coalesce with a party which draws most of it’s supporters from Zanu-PF. Kwete kungoita macoalitions naana Kissnot Mukwazhi.kkkk NB: For the MDC-T, yu really need partners, you can’t go it alone.
Obet Gutu very foolish indeed If I were you I was not going to comment. Jonathan Moyo puts a bait and you go for it. Clever politicians don’t make such rubbish comments.
When an election contestant polls 500 votes out of 15 000, as we have seen on many occasions, what chance did he have in the first place? So it is only logical that the numerous small parties back a larger party without an official coalition which will be disturbed by demands and conditions. That way the small parties will have demonstrated their unselfishness. Now, small party, let us become big together ! ! !
When did the MDC-T last get such a heap of praise or advice from Moyo and precisely the entire Zanu PF fraternity? Are Zimbos aware of political propaganda and/or infiltration? Lets play it safe and distinguish facts from from fictions. Its not the time to embrace ‘advice and support’ from such unlikely quarters.
Moyo might be right on his point of view but why?I think thre is a strategy behind what he said.I agree with Jacob mafume,its high time when our leading opposition party (MDC T)stop talking about their wide coverage range in terms of politics and focus on what is best for this roating zimbabwe and its starving people.For sure MDC T is the biggest opposition party but for the past 17 we failed to disloge ZANU.I think we need a new strategy that is coalition.
Itz clear no opposition wil win election come 2018 for lack of capacity. Therez need to think outside the box. Ultimate change of the face of opposition might work
People u should understand the fact that Moyo is simply saying opposition individuals should join the real opposition party in Zimbabwe which is MDC T . These individuals should bury their pride or envy and support a party capable of defeating ZANU PF . Parties will confuse the electorate when they came to sharing positions and obviously they won’t agree 100% as executive members . We will see spilts like what happened to Mujuru led party . That the result of disagreement about coalition terms
Unity is no. 1. Just recently the Gvt of National Unit brought hope to a fading Zim, only for Zanu to derail the building as they usually do. After almost empowering Zim education. Seems they ar doing wat they kno best. Causing mo confusion. l wish Zim might b a “colony” again. Cause the liberatord ar causimg mo chaos thn the colonisers
Surely the opposition parties need to form a grand coalition based on the common purpose of dislodging the dictatorial Zanu, otherwise anything outside this scope is a waste of time
coalition good but it needs scrutinisation cause other individuals want derail it to suit zanu pf agenda