Dabengwa joins Code, Tsvangirai, Mujuru not members

THE Dumiso Dabengwa-led Zapu yesterday became the sixth opposition political party to formally join the Coalition for Democrats (Code), as the group continues to push for the formation of a grand coalition with alternative solutions to the Zimbabwe crisis ahead of the 2018 elections.

The signing ceremony was temporarily delayed after police officers stormed a Harare hotel saying the gathering had not been sanctioned under the Public Order Security Act.

This resulted in the ceremony being moved to Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe (RDZ) offices in the capital.

Dabengwa said his party delayed joining the coalition because it wanted to have a mandate from its congress.

The coalition said it was working together with the National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) in seeking electoral reforms ahead of the general election.

"We are engaging Nera to the extent that it is focusing on electoral reforms, but Code is bigger than that," Mavambo/Kusile /Dawn leader, Simba Makoni said.

"We look into other areas for reforms. So our working together is limited to the common ground and interest on electoral reforms."

MDC leader, Welshman Ncube said the parties were working on engaging the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and the government to ensure the full implementation of the Constitution and electoral reforms that were agreed in 2013.

"We also need more reforms to make sure that the election is not stolen again," he said.

Code said it was still working on the framework to follow and implement rather than choosing the personality to lead it.

Incoming Code chairperson, Elton Mangoma of RDZ, said Zimbabweans were tired of "big man politics" and wanted people who work as a team.

"Zimbabweans refuse big man politics. The people should have their say. Big man politics say if we want to talk then I am the leader. In Code we say anyone can lead," he said.

"The issue of Code is what we must do to alleviate the problems the people are facing. We need team players, as opposed to someone who thinks they are ordained to lead. We want to change from Zanu-PF and not to replicate or duplicate it."

Code members are RDZ, MDC, Zapu, Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn, Democratic Restoration Assembly (Dare) and Zimbabwe Union for Democrats (Zunde).

Tendai Biti's PDP has a working relationship with Code, but is yet to sign the agreement.

Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T and Joice Mujuru's Zimbabwe People First are not members, as they are reportedly negotiating their own coalition agreement.