Tsvangirai stalks Mujuru, Mutasa, Gumbo

MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai will engage in coalition talks with both ex-Vice-President Joice Mujuru as well as her erstwhile comrades led by Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo.

Mujuru broke up with Mutasa and Gumbo last month in a nasty bust-up in the Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) party. The former Zanu-PF number two has since formed the National People's Party (NPP) in a move seen as avoiding a looming fight over the party name.

MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu confirmed his party was still engaged in talks with Mujuru's new party National People's Party as well as ZimPF.

"The electorate should not panic as the dish is being prepared and when ready it will be served. Bear with us as talks are a sensitive issue and we would release information at a strategic moment," Gutu told NewsDay yesterday.

The split between Mujuru and Mutasa heightened apprehension in political circles on whether the idea of a coalition would materialise.

Tsvangirai is on record saying his party was ready to form a coalition of willing parties with a proven support base in a bid to dislodge Mugabe.

ZimPF co-leader Rugare Gumbo confirmed that they were holding negotiations with Tsvangirai.

"Talks will always continue between us but obviously they had stalled at the moment as we were setting up our party after the split," Gumbo said.

Mujuru, in the aftermath of the break-up, said Mutasa and Gumbo, among others had been expelled for "campaigning against coalition talks."

NPP spokesperson, Jealousy Mawarire was not reachable on his mobile phone, neither did he respond to messages sent to him yesterday.

A coalition with Mujuru and Mutasa has always been seen by political analysts as the missing key to unlock the rural vote, particularly in Mashonaland provinces, where Zanu-PF has enjoyed dominance through coercion and violence since 2000.

Gutu said there was no specific timetable to conclude the coalition talks despite Tsvangirai having indicated a June deadline before the tumultuous events that rocked ZimPF.

Tsvangirai is currently on a nationwide tour, where he is meeting opinion leaders and discussing the national issues and what should happen before the watershed polls.