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Abigail Mawonde and Columbus Mabika
MDC Renewal secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti yesterday said his party was open to negotiations with the Mujuru cabal as long as they shared the same values.Mr Biti spoke of the need for the creation of a broad front to confront the revolutionary Zanu-PF party.

This confirms claims by former MDC Renewal treasurer-general Mr Elton Mangoma this week that Mr Biti was angling for a coalition with the Mujuru cabal.

Addressing a Press conference in Harare, Mr Biti confirmed having informally met the Mujuru cabal.

“At the last count, Zimbabwe had 36 political parties and with Mangoma’s party there are now 37 political parties.

“So, our resolution as MDC Renewal Team is that we endeavour and work very hard to create a united front or a broad front of Zimbabweans that agree that what is fundamental right now is to achieve democratic change in Zimbabwe.

“But that process cannot be content free, cannot be value free. There must be some values to our struggle so any party that also shares the same values as us, we will speak with them.

“The same applies to what you are calling Gamatox, the people that are being fired from the Zanu-PF, we haven’t spoken to them.

“We don’t know whether they have formed a political party or not, but when they do, we will speak to them and if we share the same values and principles then we will go along with the principle that we have described today, the principle that we have discussed at the Mandel meeting that we will work with like-minded Zimbabweans to achieve democratic change.”

Mr Biti confirmed talking to some people in the Mujuru cabal in their individual capacity.

“ I have spoken to them as a lawyer and when they require legal service, we will not stop our people from doing that because doing so will be unconstitutional.

“But what we will not, and I want to underline that, we as MDC Renewal Team, understand that in 2018 our progression lies in forming a broad front against this regime and we endeavour to work to do so,” he said.

Added Mr Biti: “We have not, as a board, formally engaged them, but when they do form (a political party) and do approach us, yes we will sit as a committee and make a resolution consistent with these resolutions and we will engage them.”

Meanwhile, MDC Renewal Team chairman Mr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo wished the party’s former treasurer-general, Mr Elton Mangoma, success in his new political endeavours.

Mr Mangoma parted ways with MDC Renewal Team this week following revelations that he snatched the wife of a party activist.

He felt the allegations were cooked up by some senior politicians in the MDC Renewal Team to score political points.