'We will sit down with Mujuru's allies,' says Biti

MDC-Renewal Team secretary-general Tendai Biti yesterday admitted to talking to "individuals" in former Vice-President Joice Mujuru's People First project with a view to forming a grand coalition to challenge the Zanu-PF government in the next general elections.

Biti was addressing a Press briefing that followed a hastily arranged national executive committee meeting following the departure of former treasurer-general Elton Mangoma who formed a breakaway party, Renewal of Democrats Zimbabwe (RDZ), early this week.

"We have not talked to them as a collective and we are not sure whether they have formed a party. I have talked to them in my capacity as a lawyer and I cannot deny them that constitutional right," Biti said.

"However, when they finally form a party, we will sit down as a collective and talk to them and we will not make an apology for that. If anyone does not see the rationale of a coalition as the salvation for the people of this country in 2018, then we will leave them to enjoy their right to idiocy."

Party chairperson Samuel Sipepa Nkomo told journalists yesterday that they were planning to convene a congress by the end of this month to formalise their structures and map the way forward.