Grand coalition in false start

THE proposed coalition of opposition political parties in Zimbabwe to challenge Zanu-PF and President Mugabe in the 2018 harmonised elections had a false start yesterday after some of the opposition parties shunned the signing of the deal.

Only five political parties signed the agreement that they said would see them field a single candidate in the next elections from local authority to Presidential contest as they also acknowledged Zanu-PF's invincibility.

The five are Mavambo Kusile Dawn (MKD) led by Simba Makoni, Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe (RDZ) fronted by Elton Mangoma, the Professor Welshman Ncube-led Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Democratic Assembly for Restoration and Empowerment (DARE) led by Gilbert Dzikiti and Zimbabweans United for Democracy (ZUNDE) whose president is Farai Mbira.

The MDC-T led by Morgan Tsvangirai and Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) fronted by former Vice President Joice Mujuru were not part of the agreement.

Other parties that did not sign the coalition deal are People's Democratic Party led by Tendai Biti, the Dumiso Dabengwa-led Zapu and the National Constitutional Assembly fronted by Professor Lovemore Madhuku.

Biti and a Zapu representative, Mjobisa Noko, attended the signing ceremony and gave solidarity messages though they indicated their parties were not ready to enter the coalition.

Members of the coalition, code-named Coalition of Democrats (CODE), urged other parties to join the coalition if the opposition nursed a chance against Zanu-PF and President Mugabe.

MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu said his party would remain guided by Tsvangirai who recently indicated that he would rather go it alone than unite with other opposition parties.

"We have already made our position very clear on the issue of coalitions," he said.

"For the avoidance of doubt and also out of abundance of caution, let me reiterate that president Morgan Tsvangirai is directly and personally handling all issues to do with coalitions. At the appropriate point in time, his office will be making a public pronouncement on the issue."

ZPF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said his party would not be pressured into a coalition agreement "for the sake of getting money".

"They are free to do what they want, like forming a coalition but for us there is going to be an analysis to establish the benefits of having such a coalition. But if their coalition is for the sake of raising money, then we are not part of it.

"We are interested in a coalition that answers all the problems that Zimbabweans are facing," said Gumbo.

Prof Ncube said they had engaged the MDC-T and ZPF leaderships to join the coalition talks.

"They have at this stage indicated unreadiness to walk with us for now. We have said to them, the CODE door will remain open for engagement," he said.

"On our part as the collective, multi-laterally and bi-laterally, we have committed ourselves to continuously talk to all those who say they are unhappy with the state of our country as it is.

"We have committed ourselves to talk to all those who say they are opposed to the current government and we have said let's come together whether you are MDC-T, whether you are People First or by whatever description, we have said we want to be inclusive."

Biti and Noko said their parties had ongoing internal processes that would enable them to come up with positions on whether or not to join the coalition.

But Biti and Mbira pleaded with other opposition parties to come together and have a united front against Zanu-PF.

They said without a coalition, opposition parties had no chance of defeating Zanu-PF and President Mugabe.

Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said the revolutionary party would not lose sleep over a coalition of nonentities.

"We don't have time for hallucinators and by the way, we are a democratic country so people must be free to dream," he said.

"As the ruling party we are engaged in very serious developmental programmes under Zim-Asset because that is what matters.

"We are addressing issues of economic emancipation so that our own people can take full control of the economy as well as addressing the issue of El Nino-induced drought by ensuring that food reaches everyone who is in need. Those are the things we are interested in."