Mugabe mocks Tsvangirai, Mujuru 'grand coalition'

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe yesterday poured scorn at opposition political parties' efforts to form a grand coalition to contest against Zanu-PF in next year's elections, saying this was nothing but a mirage, which will suffer a "grand" loss.

Officially opening a Zanu-PF central committee meeting, Mugabe mocked the opposition saying they were a confused lot, who gift his party through splits and internal fights.

"They have tried this and that, been together, they split again, they talk of coalitions. We shall make them talk all kinds of languages that is what Zanu-PF is capable of doing when we are united and doing our own thing," he said.

"We look with glee, we look with joy as they daily turn on each other, while pretending to chase a mirage they have termed grand coalition, apparently unaware of the grand defeat that stares them in the face."

Mugabe said the good rains, which point to a bumper harvest, had set his party up for a smashing electoral victory.

He, however, noted his party was facing its own internal squabbles.

"For as long as we think and act in unison, we shall always be the victors bound by common belief and a binding sense of camaraderie," Mugabe said.

"The promise of a good agricultural performance translates quite naturally to even great support for our party, as we inch towards the 2018 harmonised elections.

"Riled by successive by-electoral blows, the opposition is in a quagmire all the time, clutching on dropped straws in a vain hope of some modicum of political respectability, which routinely eludes them apparently."

Mugabe's jibe on the opposition came as Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T and Joice Mujuru's National People's Party, which were working towards a coalition they hope will end Mugabe's 37-year rule, have suffered splits.

Mugabe also waded into the fight, which has seen the National Elections Reform Agenda, a grouping of 13 opposition parties taking on Zimbabwe Electoral Commission accusing it of political bias and refusing to reform, saying this was only an excuse of a confused people.

"Unable to face our mighty party, they have now turned their guns on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission; they are fighting a commission that has no fault," he said.

"Itself a constitutional body mandated to run elections in our country, afflicted by madness as it were, which knows no bounds they even seek to interfere with the mandate of government tendering process, hoping for some optimistic fissures and little chances that might give them a little respectability."

Mugabe called on his party to take full advantage of the fights in the opposition to consolidate its position ahead of the pools.

Already confirmed as Zanu-PF 2018 presidential candidate, Mugabe turned to his own party and called for a halt on internal demonstrations.

He warned that the public demonstrations targeting the party's political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere had the effect of playing into the hands of the opposition by cultivating a message of discord and despondency in Zanu-PF.

"To all those who have been expressing displeasures through demonstrations in various provinces, we say ‘fine you made your points and your voices have been heard, but please the party has structures and organs designed to handle such matters in a dignified way'.

"Are you aware that Tsvangirai and others are listening and laughing?"