Tsvangirai, Biti now on talking terms

After years of mudslinging, the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) led by Tendai Biti, are now back on talking terms with the latter saying it has now realised that it was pandering to Zanu-PF whims when it used to attack the former prime minister.

Speaking to the Daily News yesterday PDP spokesperson Jacob Mafume said it has always been Zanu-PF's wish to see Tsvangirai and Biti squabbling but those "dark days" are gone now as opposition parties start to engage with the aim of forming a grand coalition.

"The tiff was exaggerated by our enemies which is Zanu-PF. As we always said that there are no personal differences between...Biti and...Tsvangirai.

"Tsvangirai is not our enemy our enemy is Zanu-PF. As for the talks, we are in talks with different opposition parties including the MDC.

"We have mandated our leadership to handle the issue of coalition talks. We are happy that all opposition parties are now seeing the importance of the coalition."

Pictures of Tsvangirai and Biti in smiles at a National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) gathering  last month went viral on social media with many opposition fanatics urging the former allies to unite and work together towards ending President Robert Mugabe's 37-year-old reign.

Apparently, rattled by the prospects of a grand coalition among opposition parties, Mugabe sought to pooh-pooh the envisaged alliance when he addressed his party's central committee on Friday last week, but for Tsvangirai the nonagenarian is now running scared.

Sources close to coalition deliberations that are taking place behind the scenes, as the country hurtles towards the watershed 2018 elections, told the Daily News that Biti and Tsvangirai could reunite anytime soon.

"Biti and Tsvangirai's relationship has improved they are in talks and most senior members in Biti's party now support the idea of the reunion of the two.

"The picture of the two at the Nera demonstration drew positive comments from the people and now both parties are eager to work together. Tsvangirai and Biti are having meetings to iron out their differences and soon the deal will be finalised," the source said.

However, according to the PDP, it is not wise to have a coalition now because Zanu-PF would infiltrate opposition parties and weaken them before the 2018 polls.

"The question which only remains now is when is the coalition? However, because of the nature of the regime we are dealing with we can't have the coalition way before the elections because we will end up infiltrated by Zanu-PF.

"Also some parties are still working on holding their congresses, but definitely the coalition will come," said Mafume.

Asked who should lead the broad alliance of opposition parties, Mafume said, "what is needed is consensus among opposition parties".

Yesterday, Tsvangirai, through his spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka, said Mugabe is running scared as opposition parties show strong signals that they could unite before the crucial 2018 plebiscite.

"They thought that it was going to be difficult for us as Zimbabweans to work together, obviously, the regime is panicking. There are overwhelming reasons for them to panic because we are surely coming together," said Tamborinyoka.

"Zimbabweans are congregating and there is an overwhelming unity among Zimbabweans. The economic and social problems are bringing the people of Zimbabwe together. In 2018 it will be the people of Zimbabwe versus this minority regime.

"We don't care about Zanu-PF fights. We feel sorry for those who are on a massage chair because they will go back to their rural area but it's not a crime to be old."