News / National
MDC-T initiated power sharing talks with Zanu-pf 3 days after voting: Zanu-PF
26 Oct 2011 at 04:18hrs | Views
The MDC-T started to initiate power sharing talks with Zanu-PF three days after voting in the March 28 2008 harmonised presidential and parliamentary elections using business people and professionals because it did not want a run-off in the presidential poll.
The then opposition party's emissaries told Zanu-PF officials that the pattern of the results showed that no party had an outright win and power-sharing talks were the way forward because having a run-off would be costly and a hassle to the nation.
MDC-T is allegede to have sent Delta chief executive officer Mr Joel Mutizwa to contact Zanu-PF Politburo member Nicholas Goche to discuss power-sharing talks even before the full results of the elections had been released. Goche yesterday gave a chronology of events until the final results were announced, the presidential election run-off was held and the talks that led to formation of the inclusive Government.
He was commenting following weekend reports which quoted MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai claiming in his book, "At the Deep End", that Goche conceded that President Mugabe lost to his rival in the 2008 presidential election.
Goche confirmed receiving a phone call from Mr Mutizwa on Monday March 31 2008 in the morning when results were still being released.
Mr Mutizwa told Goche that he had an urgent matter to discuss but the latter told him to wait until lunch time because he was in a meeting with other Politburo members Emmerson Mnangagwa, Oppah Muchinguri, Stan Mudenge and the late Elliot Manyika in Didymus Mutasa's office at the Zanu-PF headquarters.
But the Delta boss insisted the matter was urgent and Goche suggested he came to the Zanu-PF headquarters.
They met in one of Mutasa's offices and Mr Mutizwa told Goche that it was "obvious that nobody had secured an outright victory in both (presidential and parliamentary) elections" and there would have to be a run-off in the presidential race.
"The worry is why should we waste money on a run-off if the two parties can sit and talk. I have been sent by the most senior people in MDC-T," Goche quoted Mr Mutizwa saying.
He said he told him that the election process was not yet complete and he did not have the mandate from his party superiors so he had to first consult his seniors in Zanu-PF to hold any discussions.
Goche phoned President Mugabe from the Zanu-PF headquarters and they later met and he told him about his meeting with Mr Mutizwa.
According to Goche, President Mugabe tasked him to find out what the MDC-T really wanted.
On the same day Goche met with MDC-T senior members Mr Elliot Mangoma and Jameson Timba at Mr Mutizwa's office.
The two MDC-T officials indicated that they wanted power-sharing under which "we will accommodate each other".
Goche told them that the election results were not yet complete and he had no mandate from his party to discuss anything except to find out what the MDC-T wanted.
"I reported back to the President and he called the other Politburo members, including the two Vice Presidents Joseph Msika (late) and Joice Mujuru, to discuss the issue," he said.
Those called in were Mutasa, Mnangagwa, Muchinguri, Mudenge and the late Manyika because they were within reach.
Goche said everyone in the meeting gave their views and they agreed that they should wait until the final results of the elections and he communicated this to Mr Mutizwa.
However, he said while in his self-imposed exile in Botswana, Mr Tsvangirai kept sending messages to him through his relative, Mr Hebson Makuvise (now Zimbabwe's ambassador to Germany), and Chitungwiza Central Hospital chief executive Dr Obadiah Moyo who is close to President Mugabe's nephew, Gabriel Mugabe.
Goche said Mr Tsvangirai was arguing that the issue should be resolved between him and President Mugabe because they were the leaders of the two major political parties in Zimbabwe.
He said he relayed the messages to the President who asked why Mr Tsvangirai was not putting his request in writing.
CAPS Holdings chairman Mr Fred Matanda was later to call Goche about the letter Mr Tsvangirai had written to President Mugabe.
Mr Matanda handed the letter to Goche who in turn delivered it to the President, who after the reading it said it had no substance.
The presidential run-off was then held after which former South African President Thabo Mbeki mediated the power-sharing agreement, which the MDC-T had been clamouring for even before the election process was over.
Goche dismissed the notion that Zanu-PF realised there was a clause calling for a run-off in the case of the winner of the presidential poll failing to secure the 50 percent-plus-one vote.
He said the party knew about it because there was heated debate "which left blood on the floor" in the party before the clause was introduced.
President Mugabe's spokesperson and Secretary for Media, Information and Publicity Mr George Charamba yesterday said: "I can confirm that Mutizwa was sent by the MDC-T to Zanu-PF through Minister Goche and at all times he (Goche) kept the President informed."
The then opposition party's emissaries told Zanu-PF officials that the pattern of the results showed that no party had an outright win and power-sharing talks were the way forward because having a run-off would be costly and a hassle to the nation.
MDC-T is allegede to have sent Delta chief executive officer Mr Joel Mutizwa to contact Zanu-PF Politburo member Nicholas Goche to discuss power-sharing talks even before the full results of the elections had been released. Goche yesterday gave a chronology of events until the final results were announced, the presidential election run-off was held and the talks that led to formation of the inclusive Government.
He was commenting following weekend reports which quoted MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai claiming in his book, "At the Deep End", that Goche conceded that President Mugabe lost to his rival in the 2008 presidential election.
Goche confirmed receiving a phone call from Mr Mutizwa on Monday March 31 2008 in the morning when results were still being released.
Mr Mutizwa told Goche that he had an urgent matter to discuss but the latter told him to wait until lunch time because he was in a meeting with other Politburo members Emmerson Mnangagwa, Oppah Muchinguri, Stan Mudenge and the late Elliot Manyika in Didymus Mutasa's office at the Zanu-PF headquarters.
But the Delta boss insisted the matter was urgent and Goche suggested he came to the Zanu-PF headquarters.
They met in one of Mutasa's offices and Mr Mutizwa told Goche that it was "obvious that nobody had secured an outright victory in both (presidential and parliamentary) elections" and there would have to be a run-off in the presidential race.
"The worry is why should we waste money on a run-off if the two parties can sit and talk. I have been sent by the most senior people in MDC-T," Goche quoted Mr Mutizwa saying.
He said he told him that the election process was not yet complete and he did not have the mandate from his party superiors so he had to first consult his seniors in Zanu-PF to hold any discussions.
Goche phoned President Mugabe from the Zanu-PF headquarters and they later met and he told him about his meeting with Mr Mutizwa.
According to Goche, President Mugabe tasked him to find out what the MDC-T really wanted.
On the same day Goche met with MDC-T senior members Mr Elliot Mangoma and Jameson Timba at Mr Mutizwa's office.
The two MDC-T officials indicated that they wanted power-sharing under which "we will accommodate each other".
Goche told them that the election results were not yet complete and he had no mandate from his party to discuss anything except to find out what the MDC-T wanted.
"I reported back to the President and he called the other Politburo members, including the two Vice Presidents Joseph Msika (late) and Joice Mujuru, to discuss the issue," he said.
Those called in were Mutasa, Mnangagwa, Muchinguri, Mudenge and the late Manyika because they were within reach.
Goche said everyone in the meeting gave their views and they agreed that they should wait until the final results of the elections and he communicated this to Mr Mutizwa.
However, he said while in his self-imposed exile in Botswana, Mr Tsvangirai kept sending messages to him through his relative, Mr Hebson Makuvise (now Zimbabwe's ambassador to Germany), and Chitungwiza Central Hospital chief executive Dr Obadiah Moyo who is close to President Mugabe's nephew, Gabriel Mugabe.
Goche said Mr Tsvangirai was arguing that the issue should be resolved between him and President Mugabe because they were the leaders of the two major political parties in Zimbabwe.
He said he relayed the messages to the President who asked why Mr Tsvangirai was not putting his request in writing.
CAPS Holdings chairman Mr Fred Matanda was later to call Goche about the letter Mr Tsvangirai had written to President Mugabe.
Mr Matanda handed the letter to Goche who in turn delivered it to the President, who after the reading it said it had no substance.
The presidential run-off was then held after which former South African President Thabo Mbeki mediated the power-sharing agreement, which the MDC-T had been clamouring for even before the election process was over.
Goche dismissed the notion that Zanu-PF realised there was a clause calling for a run-off in the case of the winner of the presidential poll failing to secure the 50 percent-plus-one vote.
He said the party knew about it because there was heated debate "which left blood on the floor" in the party before the clause was introduced.
President Mugabe's spokesperson and Secretary for Media, Information and Publicity Mr George Charamba yesterday said: "I can confirm that Mutizwa was sent by the MDC-T to Zanu-PF through Minister Goche and at all times he (Goche) kept the President informed."
Source - HeraldOnline
