News / National
Facing imminent NCA collapse, Madhuku to run for political office
30 Apr 2012 at 13:55hrs | Views
CONSTITUTIONAL law expert and leader of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), Lovemore Madhuku, has said he will soon relinquish his post at the constitutional lobby group and venture into active party politics.
"It's a difficult thing to do, but as soon as we get the referendum, I won't be there," said Madhuku while addressing participants at a public meeting organised by think-tank Sapes Trust in Harare on Thursday night.
"After the referendum, I don't want to be there, I have been there for too long. If we lose the referendum, I will not be there and I would want to join politics after that," Madhuku said.
Madhuku, a close ally of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and staunch critic of President Robert Mugabe, has been chairperson of the NCA since 2001 after taking over from the MDC-T leader.
Though he did not divulge his next port of call politically, observers said Madhuku was likely to join the MDC-T due to his closeness to Tsvangirai.
Madhuku last year presided over the MDC-T's elective congress in Bulawayo and attended the party's 12th anniversary clad in party colours.
When pressed for clarification, Madhuku said: "It doesn't mean I will join any political party.
Politics is not about joining any party, but what is certain is I will join politics and I can't say now which party I will be joining. By that time, a lot of these guys would have left politics."
Madhuku also said debate on a possible successor for Tsvangirai should be deferred until after the party succeeded in dislodging President Robert Mugabe from office.
"Succession in the MDC-T is not necessary, the party is still in opposition and they know it and have been telling us that they are not governing.
"It will be difficult for us to have support to take Mugabe out of power, Tsvangirai still has that. They are also ambitious people in MDC-T. There is a mentality in politics that to replace Mugabe is how polished you are and how well you can argue and anyone who talks well, but it's the popular factor that counts. That's what I want the Western colleagues to know," he said.
"The debate in the MDC is about the post-Tsvangirai era, it's quite bad the extent of the debate. There was a clear line that Tsvangirai would be away by 2016, but he has given no indication that he will leave the party. It's difficult that Tsvangirai can go before Mugabe."
"It's a difficult thing to do, but as soon as we get the referendum, I won't be there," said Madhuku while addressing participants at a public meeting organised by think-tank Sapes Trust in Harare on Thursday night.
"After the referendum, I don't want to be there, I have been there for too long. If we lose the referendum, I will not be there and I would want to join politics after that," Madhuku said.
Madhuku, a close ally of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and staunch critic of President Robert Mugabe, has been chairperson of the NCA since 2001 after taking over from the MDC-T leader.
Though he did not divulge his next port of call politically, observers said Madhuku was likely to join the MDC-T due to his closeness to Tsvangirai.
Madhuku last year presided over the MDC-T's elective congress in Bulawayo and attended the party's 12th anniversary clad in party colours.
Politics is not about joining any party, but what is certain is I will join politics and I can't say now which party I will be joining. By that time, a lot of these guys would have left politics."
Madhuku also said debate on a possible successor for Tsvangirai should be deferred until after the party succeeded in dislodging President Robert Mugabe from office.
"Succession in the MDC-T is not necessary, the party is still in opposition and they know it and have been telling us that they are not governing.
"It will be difficult for us to have support to take Mugabe out of power, Tsvangirai still has that. They are also ambitious people in MDC-T. There is a mentality in politics that to replace Mugabe is how polished you are and how well you can argue and anyone who talks well, but it's the popular factor that counts. That's what I want the Western colleagues to know," he said.
"The debate in the MDC is about the post-Tsvangirai era, it's quite bad the extent of the debate. There was a clear line that Tsvangirai would be away by 2016, but he has given no indication that he will leave the party. It's difficult that Tsvangirai can go before Mugabe."
Source - newsday
