MDC, we are not leaving, but booting ZANU out of the inclusive government

Zanu PF spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo, on Friday said Tsvangirai and his MDC-T were free to exit the inclusive government if they so wished. But MDC-T say its Zanu they will be booting out.

On Thursday the Prime Minister threatened to pull out of the fragile coalition following the arrest of Energy minister Elton Mangoma, a top MDC-T official and negotiator to the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

Mangoma was arrested for his alleged role in a fuel deal between Petrol Trade and a South African company, Nooa Petroleum, which was contracted to supply five million litres of fuel to Zimbabwe.

Mangoma was indicted for trial at the High Court on Thursday.

The PM Tsvangirai told a news conference at Harvest House in Harare the arrest was a reflection of Zanu PF's disregard for the "basic tenets of decency and an assault on the GPA".

But Gumbo said the threats were unfounded. "These are baseless threats," Gumbo told NewsDay. "The GPA is clear that if anyone is not happy they can opt out."

Gumbo said he was surprised by Tsvangirai's threats because there was nothing amiss about Mangoma's arrest. "If someone commits a crime, why should he not be arrested?" he asked.

"The MDC always talk about the rule of law. If the police establish that someone has committed a crime what's wrong if that person is arrested?"

 "We find it absurd that each time something happens against the MDC, they say it's a violation of human rights but if it happens to Zanu PF, they say they must go to jail.

Let's be balanced."  said Gumbo.

The MDC-T spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said his party would not quit the government but instead, "it is Zanu PF that we can boot out".

"Obviously Mr Gumbo is having problems reading the GPA," Chamisa said. "The GPA he is talking about has issues that have not been implemented. We did not say we will pull out. It is Zanu PF that we can boot out."

 "What we said is that we should have a clean divorce. It's not a threat but a statement of fact.

We are not in the habit of issuing threats or ultimatums. We give facts and our clear position. Our position is that we are not happy with the way Zanu PF is treating people, business, our civil servants, women and children." Chamisa said.

Chamisa said what the MDC-T wanted was a "clean divorce" which will be achieved through a roadmap in terms of the GPA.