'Zimbabwe opposition, bunch of zeroes that add up to nothing'

OPPOSITION parties have reacted angrily to comments by President Robert Mugabe that efforts to form a coalition against him were hopeless, especially after the split of Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF).

Mugabe, in his 93rd birthday message, described opposition parties as a "bunch of zeroes that add up to nothing" with no real significance in the political set-up.

He said ZimPF leader, Joice Mujuru, had become insignificant following the fallout with party founding members, reducing her to a nonentity, whose hope was not to form a coalition with MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, but just to join the former Premier's party.

"But now Mai Mujuru, apparently divorced, left, you know, in that situation in which she appears to be without anyone else who matters politically, Tsvangirai will say aah you are now only an individual and I have a party," Mugabe said in the televised interview.

"And, yes, he has a party and my party cannot have a coalition with an individual. You can come and join me under my leadership. I don't know, she might do that perhaps to save her political skin, but that will be the final blow to her political life, to go to MDC in toto (completely)."

But ZimPF spokesperson, Jealousy Mawarire, said the fact that Mugabe was talking about Mujuru and a coalition of opposition parties meant that he was running scared.

"Just the fact Mugabe is commenting on a coalition means it is a thorn in his flesh. He has often rubbished the very things that give him problems even denying the existence of factions in his own party when it clear to all and sundry that his continued incumbency is brewing divisions in his party," he said.

"We also don't care about what he says as long as the people are solidly behind our efforts to unite and effect a change of regime in this country. The people know that if we unite we will send Mugabe packing, that is what is important to us, not what he, or his wife says about the coalition we are building."

MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu, accused Mugabe of pouring millions of dollars into intelligence services in order to maintain his grip on power in the face of a "formidable opposition".

"Of course, you cannot expect Mugabe to publicly admit that there is formidable political opposition in Zimbabwe. Privately, Mugabe is quaking in his boots," he said.

"He is a damn worried man. He knows that in any free and fair election, he stands no chance against Tsvangirai.

This is the reason why Mugabe's repressive regime has poured millions of dollars in an intelligence operation to scuttle the formation of a formidable opposition alliance. The good news is that Mugabe is now yesterday's man.

Events are moving very rapidly he can't stop the train of change. He can only bark. He will be walloped at the ballot box in 2018."

Transform Zimbabwe leader, Jacob Ngarivhume, who is also involved in coalition talks, described Mugabe's statements as "crazy".

"Mugabe is motivated by fear. He is so much afraid of the building pact because he knows this is the alliance, which will end his rule. For him to try and advise the coalition players is crazy. We will not listen to him. We will keep focusing on our primary objective, which is to build a formidable alliance, which will knock him down in 2018. We owe it to the Zimbabwean people," he said.