Morgan Tsvangirai lures Biti, Mangoma

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has offered an olive branch to a group of hawks who broke away from the MDC-T following a humiliating loss to President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party in last year's harmonised elections.

The MDC-T effectively broke into two in April this year after months of emotive and violent bickering in the aftermath of the polls.

Deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma wrote two stinging letters to Tsvangirai, asking him to step down as party leader.

He was later backed by secretary-general Tendai Biti to form a breakaway group referred to as the MDC renewal team, which announced plans to form a political party soon.

But Tsvangirai on Friday told journalists at a press briefing in Harare that under his "big tent mentality", all members of the party and "without exception", have until the end of August to come back.

"In light of our big tent mentality, and consistent with our traditional magnanimity as a democratic party, we have offered an olive branch to all members, without exception, who feel they wish to come back and renew their commitment by re-joining the party," the former prime minister said.

He said the "surrender period" would be until the end of August.

A litany of party activists and officials defied Tsvangirai and contested last year's election on independent tickets, citing the clumsy way in which the party's primary elections were handled, including allegations of rigging, and were subsequently fired before his latest volte face.

Over the past few months, Tsvangirai has been fighting for his political survival with hawks pushing for his ouster.

Biti threw his lot with Mangoma and called for a national council meeting that suspended Tsvangirai. A tribunal was then set which resolved to expel the veteran trade unionist from the party he has led for 15 unbroken years and helped form at the turn of the century.

Tsvangirai on Friday called out to Biti and his acolytes.

Turning to national issues, Tsvangirai maintained that last year's elections were rigged and claimed shadowy Israeli company Nikuv Projects was now "localising".

The MDC-T strongman said that one of the unintended consequences of the Government of National Unity (GNU) was to revive the ruling party and Mugabe.

"The GNU had an unintended consequence and outcome we rescued Mugabe and Zanu PF. But you cannot say we helped install Mugabe for another five years," the opposition president said.

"Those were the unintended consequences, our intention and the motivation was to rescue the plight of Zimbabweans, but if, in the process, Mugabe was rescued then that was not the intended result. We were in the GNU not as a government, but as a party.

"We knew exactly the extent of power configuration and with time, we realised that Mugabe's intention was to breathe some life out of this period and not to institute those reforms that were necessary for the country to go through a proper transition."

The opposition leader said he was withdrawing his call for a national dialogue and instead wanted to take government head-on.

"Yet, while the nation is gravitating towards implosion, the Zanu PF government has chosen to prioritise its internal fights at the expense of finding a solution to these pressing national issues.

"Our quest for dialogue was never motivated by what some have alleged to be our wish to go back into the comforts of government, but by a genuine patriotic wish to see the country's crisis resolved.

"We unreservedly resist all forms of intimidation and coercion and resolved to support and stand by any sector in the country that will peacefully demand the resolution of any of the national grievances, or express legitimate concerns of national interest," said Tsvangirai.

"We are drawing a line in the sand and we shall pressurise and mobilise the people because those who claim to be in charge have not demonstrated any desire and commitment
to solve the pressing national issues."