PROSPECTS for an opposition coalition ahead of elections next year continue to dim after MDC-T youths threatened to force their party leader Morgan Tsvangirai to abandon the talks, citing abuse.
BY RICHARD CHIDZA
MDC-T youth assembly secretary-general Lovemore Chinoputsa yesterday said former Vice-President Joice Mujuru, who now leads the National People’s Party (NPP), and her lieutenants were a threat to the envisaged coalition.
“Mujuru and her colleagues have shown contempt for our leader (Tsvangirai). They are not sincere and we cannot allow this to go on.”
Chinoputsa said, instead of reining in her lieutenants, Mujuru had actually joined the abuse targeted at the former Prime Minister.
“First it was (NPP national chairman-designate Dzikamai) Mavhaire and (vice-president-designate Samuel) Sipepa Nkomo, who took turns to say rubbish about the president (Tsvangirai),” he said.
“Now we hear Mujuru made insinuations that the MDC will not be able to protect the rights of war veterans and people who were given land.
“It is a narrative that they are pushing around in a bid to discredit Tsvangirai. But we should say this very clearly: We will not take this lying down. It must come to an end now or there will not be a coalition.”
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Chinoputsa claimed it was the MDC-T that was helping Mujuru gain acceptance from the people. “If anything, we (MDC-T) are cleansing Mujuru and her people because they have tainted images given their Zanu PF roots,” he continued. “They should be grateful. It is either they are in or out (of the coalition).”
Mavhaire and Nkomo reportedly fired salvos at Tsvangirai at a rally attended by Mujuru in Masvingo last month, drawing howls of disapproval from the MDC-T leader’s supporters.
While the clamour for a grand coalition seems to have been sustained, with opposition parties across the divide agreeing that it could present the best chance to unseat President Robert Mugabe, political egos seem to be getting in the way.
NPP secretary-general designate and Mujuru’s spokesperson, Gift Nyandoro, while not denying that some members of his party’s leadership had issued unpalatable statements aimed at Tsvangirai, said these were individuals’ views.
“The issue of ensuring Zanu PF’s defeat in 2018 has never been meant to be a process to benefit political parties, but Zimbabweans at large,” he said.
“We have witnessed a diversity of political rhetoric from across the opposition political divide and from different players who harbour intentions of being part of the envisaged grand coalition.
“Individual political rhetoric remains exactly that because, as we speak, the process of seeking to engage is underway and anything to the contrary is of no substance or consequence until a position is announced to Zimbabweans by the political players involved.”
Nkomo and Mavhaire were not available for comment yesterday.
