News / National
Mujuru slammed over coalition by '2.68% loser'
07 Mar 2018 at 10:59hrs | Views
MDC Alliance spokesperson Welshman Ncube has torn into People's Rainbow Coalition (PRC) president Joice Mujuru, accusing her of perfidiousness over opposition coalition to face Zanu-PF in the forthcoming elections.
A seething Ncube this week told Southern News that Mujuru's coalition remarks at the late MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai's funeral should be taken with a pinch of salt as she was simply playing to the gallery.
"Politicians have a tendency to rubble-rouse and seek to please crowds on the spur of the moment so that they can get applause here and there.
"We remain to see whether or not this will translate into anything on the ground," Ncube said.
He added: "We noted the remarks that she (Mujuru) made at the funeral of president Tsvangirai.
"The call for unity, the suggestion for being prepared to work with MDC Alliance in consolidating the opposition parties to challenge Zanu-PF at the elections but that is something said at a public event, before an audience that would have wanted to hear that."
Addressing mourners at Tsvangirai's rural home in Buhera, Mujuru claimed that before Tsvangirai died, they had located each other and were in a process of drawing up coalition terms.
"When I last talked to Tsvangirai, we were putting finer details to the Memorandum Of Understanding with regards to the alliance," Mujuru told the gathering.
Last year, Mujuru and Tsvangirai signed an MU only to go different ways with the latter going for the MDC Alliance while the former chose to form the PRC.
Asked if there were any negotiations going on between MDC Alliance and the Mujuru-led party lately, Ncube said: "For the record, the negotiators of the MDC Alliance and the NPP have always been engaged for months and months on these issues."
The respected lawyer could, however, not be drawn into commenting about the sticking issues.
"Unfortunately, I can't say because if I said then I will have to make representations on the respective positions of the parties and areas of deadlock which have prevented agreement being reached. If I did that, it will be then tantamount to negotiating in public."
He, however, said he was hopeful that the parties will manage to "overcome the obstacles which have been there which have resulted in failure to reach an agreement".
Ncube further noted that the MDC Alliance was looking forward to working with everyone who is committed to the values and principle of the alliance and is prepared to consolidate the vote against Zanu-PF.
Zapu slams fellow opposition parties over coalition
THE Dumiso Dabengwa-led Zapu has developed cold feet on coalition talks, accusing fellow opposition parties of greed and deceit.
Zapu, who are members of the Coalition of Democrats led by Elton Mangoma, said their efforts of having a one united opposition party have just come to naught hence they will stick to Code.
"As Zapu, we have always believed and subscribed to the idea of a single coalition of opposition parties approaching the 2018 elections. We still do," Zapu national spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa told Southern News.
"We have made all efforts to realise this, including talking to almost all opposition political parties with the aim of bringing all together and challenge Zanu-PF as one.
"Our efforts saw us becoming a member of the Coalition of Democrats which we are leading through our president Dabengwa who is the chairperson," he said.
Maphosa added: "Efforts were also made to have the other two coalitions coming together with Code to form one grand coalition. Our
efforts around this matter have all the time hit a snag and it has been difficult to achieve this."
The Zapu spokesperson said it was unfortunate that personal interests and egos have stood on the way of negotiations ahead of national interest.
He cited sticking points around the coalition talks, chief among them being "the untrustworthiness of would-be partners who are mostly worried about narrow personal interests ahead of the national interests."
"We have among the opposition fraternity, leaders whose sole agenda is power and as such, they engage in bad faith in order for them to gain advantage on the envisaged resultant power matrix," he said.
Maphosa added: "The majority of them are not pushing the agenda of the ordinary Zimbabwean who is wallowing in abject poverty and this is the area where Zapu finds it problematic to work with such characters.
"Zapu cannot compromise on that principle and as such, it becomes difficult to coalesce around greed and selfishness."
Maphosa further noted the commitment was still there despite time having run out before full campaigns begin.
Above all, Maphosa said they will always remain committed to Code.
"We remain committed member of Code and our stay is informed by principles more than anything else.
"If we contrast between the existing coalitions we realise total shift from what should bring people together in MDC Alliance and PRC."
"We, however, remain hopeful we all sober up and coalesce as opposition but not around individuals but around issues that affect our people and the need to change the status quo," he said.
A seething Ncube this week told Southern News that Mujuru's coalition remarks at the late MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai's funeral should be taken with a pinch of salt as she was simply playing to the gallery.
"Politicians have a tendency to rubble-rouse and seek to please crowds on the spur of the moment so that they can get applause here and there.
"We remain to see whether or not this will translate into anything on the ground," Ncube said.
He added: "We noted the remarks that she (Mujuru) made at the funeral of president Tsvangirai.
"The call for unity, the suggestion for being prepared to work with MDC Alliance in consolidating the opposition parties to challenge Zanu-PF at the elections but that is something said at a public event, before an audience that would have wanted to hear that."
Addressing mourners at Tsvangirai's rural home in Buhera, Mujuru claimed that before Tsvangirai died, they had located each other and were in a process of drawing up coalition terms.
"When I last talked to Tsvangirai, we were putting finer details to the Memorandum Of Understanding with regards to the alliance," Mujuru told the gathering.
Last year, Mujuru and Tsvangirai signed an MU only to go different ways with the latter going for the MDC Alliance while the former chose to form the PRC.
Asked if there were any negotiations going on between MDC Alliance and the Mujuru-led party lately, Ncube said: "For the record, the negotiators of the MDC Alliance and the NPP have always been engaged for months and months on these issues."
The respected lawyer could, however, not be drawn into commenting about the sticking issues.
"Unfortunately, I can't say because if I said then I will have to make representations on the respective positions of the parties and areas of deadlock which have prevented agreement being reached. If I did that, it will be then tantamount to negotiating in public."
He, however, said he was hopeful that the parties will manage to "overcome the obstacles which have been there which have resulted in failure to reach an agreement".
Ncube further noted that the MDC Alliance was looking forward to working with everyone who is committed to the values and principle of the alliance and is prepared to consolidate the vote against Zanu-PF.
Zapu slams fellow opposition parties over coalition
THE Dumiso Dabengwa-led Zapu has developed cold feet on coalition talks, accusing fellow opposition parties of greed and deceit.
"As Zapu, we have always believed and subscribed to the idea of a single coalition of opposition parties approaching the 2018 elections. We still do," Zapu national spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa told Southern News.
"We have made all efforts to realise this, including talking to almost all opposition political parties with the aim of bringing all together and challenge Zanu-PF as one.
"Our efforts saw us becoming a member of the Coalition of Democrats which we are leading through our president Dabengwa who is the chairperson," he said.
Maphosa added: "Efforts were also made to have the other two coalitions coming together with Code to form one grand coalition. Our
efforts around this matter have all the time hit a snag and it has been difficult to achieve this."
The Zapu spokesperson said it was unfortunate that personal interests and egos have stood on the way of negotiations ahead of national interest.
He cited sticking points around the coalition talks, chief among them being "the untrustworthiness of would-be partners who are mostly worried about narrow personal interests ahead of the national interests."
"We have among the opposition fraternity, leaders whose sole agenda is power and as such, they engage in bad faith in order for them to gain advantage on the envisaged resultant power matrix," he said.
Maphosa added: "The majority of them are not pushing the agenda of the ordinary Zimbabwean who is wallowing in abject poverty and this is the area where Zapu finds it problematic to work with such characters.
"Zapu cannot compromise on that principle and as such, it becomes difficult to coalesce around greed and selfishness."
Maphosa further noted the commitment was still there despite time having run out before full campaigns begin.
Above all, Maphosa said they will always remain committed to Code.
"We remain committed member of Code and our stay is informed by principles more than anything else.
"If we contrast between the existing coalitions we realise total shift from what should bring people together in MDC Alliance and PRC."
"We, however, remain hopeful we all sober up and coalesce as opposition but not around individuals but around issues that affect our people and the need to change the status quo," he said.
Source - dailynews
