'Mugabe loose mouth killed Zimbabwe'

Joice Mujuru yesterday said the Zanu-PF government was now bankrupt of ideas to turn around the country, which she said has been isolated from the rest of the world by President Robert Mugabe's undiplomatic angry outbursts against other world leaders.

ally and economically disastrous as no country could survive on its own.

Mugabe has on both local and international forums blasted other countries and even global institutions which have then turned their backs on Zimbabwe.

"We have leadership bankruptcy in Zimbabwe. This is the biggest problem in Zimbabwe," Mujuru said.

"The problem in this country is that we were so entangled in fear [of Mugabe and Zanu-PF]. No one dared challenge Zanu-PF for fear of politically-motivated violence and murder," she said, adding that at one point her supporters were victims of such fear.

"The words that you speak will make your neighbours want to come and build with you but if they hear that the words that you say are not for progress they will leave you," Mujuru said.

"They will leave you to where we are now as a country, to where Mugabe and his party Zanu-PF have taken us to," she said.

Mujuru also took a swipe at Mugabe for his statements claiming that Zimbabwe was the second most developed country in Africa, saying a country with such poor service delivery systems could not be described as such.

Turning to the proposed coalition, Mujuru said the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between her party and MDC-T had shaken Zanu-PF to the core. She said the partnership was going to provide a viable alternative to the electorate.

The NPP leader said it was important to choose candidates on merit and avoid putting into positions leaders with a corrupt background.

She said the parties would go for primary elections with other coalition partners to select candidates should there be disagreements.

Mujuru said during her tenure in government, she tried as much as she could to put people first despite their sex or tribe.

"There is no tribe that is regarded as special and more important than another. There is no individual that is regarded as more important than another. Everyone should be given an equal chance," Mujuru said.

"NPP and MDC-T are one and the same thing. We agreed that the MoU should pave way; you coming from this side and us coming from another side and on where we disagree, let's sit and discuss," Mujuru said.

"We cannot be stopped from crossing [the] River Jordan because we have failed to talk. This is not about Tsvangirai or Mujuru. What we are doing is for the people."

Mujuru encouraged her supporters to register to vote, saying those who failed to register were a great betrayal to the new Zimbabwe.

"You should go and register. There will be no miracle that will happen to defeat Zanu-PF. Our first win is this attitude of having combined rallies where we are tolerating each other. A colleague from another opposition party is not my enemy. We are all looking for freedom. I don't expect people from the opposition to foment violence against one another, or anybody else. That is not why we are here," she said.

In Chitungwiza where she was yesterday, service delivery is so poor to the extent that burst sewer pipes go unattended for weeks, while water is available in homes only one or two days a week.

Mujuru said the aspirations of liberation fighters had not yet been fulfilled as what was happening now in the country did not honour the death or injuries suffered during the war.

The former vice president said NPP had competent people and genuine liberation war fighters, as opposed to "crooks" and bogus war veterans left in Zanu-PF.

MDC-T was represented at the rally by its national executive member Job Sikhala who heaped praises on both Mujuru and Tsvangirai for deciding to work together.