Source: Mujuru, Biti rift widens – DailyNews Live
Tendai Kamhungira 2 October 2017
HARARE – The rift between leaders of the National People’s Party (NPP) and
the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has widened, highlighting the poisoned
political atmosphere under which Zimbabwe’s opposition parties are trying
to negotiate a grand coalition ahead of next year’s polls.
For long considered to have Joice Mujuru’s ear even when she was President
Robert Mugabe’s deputy, PDP leader Tendai Biti was touted among
influential figures capable of prevailing on the NPP president to join the
MDC Alliance, led by Morgan Tsvangirai.
But since the formation of the MDC Alliance that brought together seven
parties, including Biti’s PDP, Mujuru has been drifting away from the
former Finance minister.
She has previously been accused of creating confusion in PDP by
clandestinely working with Biti’s secretary-general, Gorden Moyo, which
Mujuru denies.
The tipping point came last week when Moyo and some PDP officials
announced the sacking of Biti from the party, replacing him with Lucia
Matibenga. It is being alleged that the decision was reached at a meeting
held at Samuel Sipepa Nkomo’s house.
Sipepa Nkomo is Mujuru’s deputy.
Since then, a bitter fallout has emerged, which has seen the two engaging
in a serious war of words.
Biti was first to throw the punch, claiming at a press conference soon
after a PDP national governing council meeting last Friday that Mujuru was
still Zanu PF, a claim that has angered Mujuru and her camp.
“I think our colleagues in the other side (NPP) have the culture of Zanu
(Zanu PF), which is the culture of scotched earth.
“I have been negotiating with the NPP for the last two years and I came to
a conclusion one day that yes, they are in the opposition to the extent
that they are excluded from Zanu PF but we can never take away Zanu PF in
them,” Biti was quoted saying.
Mujuru, through her spokesperson, who is also the party’s
secretary-general Gift Nyandoro, hit back at Biti, opening fresh fissures
in the opposition which is seeking to work together ahead of the 2018
elections.
Nyandoro described claims by Biti that Mujuru has maintained Zanu PF blood
as unfortunate saying such behaviour exhibits perennial student activism
trapped in bodies of adults.
“How many times has such leadership visited Mujuru’s homestead begging her
and her party to form an alliance for purposes of what Mujuru has clearly
seen to be ego-based objectives with sole purposes of looking for donor
funding instead of the real cause of liberating Zimbabweans?”
Nyandoro said NPP notes with concern a display of political kindergarten
mentality by self-overrated and so-called champions of democracy in the
Zimbabwean opposition trenches by individuals who exude an abominable
sense of self-entitlement and monopoly as to who qualifies to stand
against Zanu PF in 2018 elections.
“The deceit, ill-conceived and exaggerated political intelligence has
turned desperate politicians overnight to be judges of the persona of
Mujuru’s leadership and the integrity of NPP.
“Such misplaced comments and behaviour leave a sour taste in the mouth of
every right-thinking Zimbabwean and democrat, more importantly when they
emanate from self-super-rated politicians who are desperate to revive
political careers which are without doubt facing extinction and want
everyone to believe that they are `Mr we know it all’ of Zimbabwean
politics.
“Put simply; there is naked difference between purposive and well-meaning
coalition and revival of one’s political career in the face of ultimate
defeat,” Nyandoro said.
The opposition is seeking to form a grand coalition that will battle it
out with President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party in next year’s elections.
However, this latest wrangle between the two parties is likely to stand in
the way of an all-inclusive coalition.
Already, seven other parties including PDP and Tsvangirai’s MDC are part
of a grouping called MDC Alliance formed in August in the spirit of
working together in the 2018 elections.
Ironically, Tsvangirai wants to work with Mujuru, who is not yet part of
the MDC Alliance, which might create an awkward situation should these
parties decide to join forces.
On allegations that the NPP had a hand in PDP’s split, Nyandoro said his
party will not be drawn into the internal affairs of the PDP.
“Instead of telling the country the truth as it is and take charge of
consequences; no side show of maligning the able leadership of Mujuru and
her party will ever assist such tragedy of political mal-functioning.
“NPP refuses to be a referee of other parties’ internal processes. NPP
urges such distorted mentality to take charge of their own issues for such
behaviour is no different from a man who blames the husband next door for
his failure to impregnate his own wife,” Nyandoro said.
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