Zimpapers Logo

Morgan Tsvangirai

Sydney Kawadza Senior Reporter—
PLANS by opposition forces to coalesce and unseat Zanu-PF in harmonised elections next year are facing serious hurdles after the MDC-Alliance and Coalition for Democrats yesterday held separate meetings in Harare.People’s Democratic Party secretary-general Dr Gorden Moyo confirmed there was no coalition as yet among opposition parties.

Also read:

• Tsvangirai forms coalition, bypasses MDC-T structures
• Tsvangirai under fire over MoUs
• Nkosana Moyo scoffs at coalition talks
• Coalition doomed to fail: Analysts
• MDC-T, NPP dread rural constituencies
• Mujuru, Tsvangirai pact: Wheels come off
• Ex-Tsvangirai aide sees 2018 coalition defeat
• Tsvangirai sets stringent coalition conditions
• No party is too small for coalition: Ncube

This was despite MDC-T claims yesterday of vibrancy within the MDC Alliance. “PDP is the ancestor of the concept or notion of coalitions in Zimbabwe. We started it so we have this loco parentis to the concept of coalitions,” he said.

“There are various efforts. CODE is one effort. MDC Alliance is yet another effort. Mass Opposition Movement is another effort. So there are various efforts that still need to be glued together failing which we will do a disservice to the people of Zimbabwe.”

The MDC led by Professor Welshman Ncube yesterday issued a statement announcing their withdrawal from CODE. MDC spokesperson Mr Kurauone Chihwayi said: “The MDC secretary-general, Miriam Mushayi, delivered the letter of resignation to the current CODE chairperson, Mr Tendai Biti, on the 7th of August 2017,” he said.

Spokesperson for MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai also released a statement yesterday suggesting the MDC Alliance had hit the ground running after convening its first meeting of the Coalition Principal Forum.

“The agreement, under Clause 5.2 provides for the establishment of this forum which must be attended by all the Alliance party presidents and by invitation anyone else the presidents so choose.

“For inter-party communication and implementation of Alliance programmes, the secretaries-general of the Alliance parties attend the meetings by invitation,” he said.

University of Zimbabwe lecturer and political analyst Mr Eldred Masunungure said while the opposition believe the coalition would help them, Zanu-PF would be victorious next year

“We should take the reality on the ground in assessing the potential of that alliance to do what it seeks to achieve, that is, to unseat Zanu-PF.

“I do not think that would be possible under the circumstances. All things being equal, Zanu-PF will come out first best whether there is an alliance or not. “I think, organisationally, in terms of resources, in terms of everything that goes into the preparations, Zanu-PF is way, way ahead,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a storypublished on August 8, 2017 titled “Tsvangirai dispatched thugs to Bulawayo”, it was erroneously indicated that MDC-T deputy national chairman MR Shakespear Mukoyi was part of the youths that disrupted a meeting at the party offices in Bu- lawayo.

It has since emerged that Mr Mukoyi was not among the group of people that attacked MDC-T vice president Ms Thokozani Khupe, national chairman Mr Lovemore Moyo and organising secretary Mr Abednico Bhebhe on Sun- day.