THE Welshman Ncube-led MDC yesterday said it has no plans of joining hands with Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T as long as the situation prevailing in the former Premier’s party fell short of values guiding the party.
BY EVERSON MUSHAVA/ SHADRECK MARIRIMBA
MDC spokesperson Nhlanhla Dube in an interview said the MDC was only open to working with democratic forces which share its values in theory and in practice, and judging by the developments in the MDC-T, Tsvangirai’s party fell short in every respect.
“There is nothing at the moment to trust Tsvangirai and consider joining hands with him,” Dube said yesterday.
“We can only open ourselves up for negotiations when we are satisfied the MDC-T has changed its ways, not at the time they are beating each other. That is not the democratic dispensation we want to adopt. We would rather stay out of power than lie to the generality of Zimbabweans.”
While addressing a rally in Harare’s high-density suburb of Budiriro on Sunday, Tsvangirai made a passionate plea to Ncube, MDC99 leader Job Sikhala, Lovemore Madhuku (National Constitutional Assembly leader), and all former members of the united and MDC before its split in 2005, to rejoin the party and establish a formidable challenge to President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF. While Madhuku refused to comment on the matter before he was formally approached by Tsvangirai, Sikhala said he was open to negotiations if approached in the proper way.
Keep Reading
- 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
But Ncube’s party said there were things that the party could not compromise on before any talk of reunion.
“The abhorring of violence, respect and practice of collective decision-making, the rejection of the politics of ethnic chauvinism, zero tolerance for corruption, disdain for the politics of patronage and abuse of public office and rejection of the politics of deception are all sacrosanct to the MDC,” Dube said.
He said the MDCs were institutions that should contact each other at institutional level, not at political rallies.
“Such discussions would uphold the principle of mutual respect and negate the tendency of grandstanding and negotiating in the full glare of the public for purposes of mass public deception. No political party which falls short of these requirements will receive consideration from our party,” he said.
Several attempts by the two warring parties to reunite following the split over Tsvangirai’s decision not to participate in senatorial elections in 2005 have in the past fallen apart. Ahead of last year’s general elections that were eventually won by Zanu PF, talks between the two crumbled.
This forced Tsvangirai to partner Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn leader Simba Makoni while Ncube formed an alliance with Dumiso Dabengwa’s Zapu.
Ncube repeatedly accused Tsvangirai of masterminding Mugabe’s decision to refuse to recognise him as a coalition government principal, notwithstanding the ousting of former Deputy Prime Minister Athur Mutambara as MDC leader.