Source: ‘Coalition talks a knee-jerk reaction’ – NewsDay Zimbabwe March 27, 2017
ONGOING coalition talks among opposition forces in Zimbabwe are premised on wrong assumptions and may not succeed, former Cabinet minister and Alliance for National Salvation (ANSA) party leader Moses Mzila Ndlovu has said.
BY TALENT GUMBO
Mzila-Ndlovu told a public meeting organised by the pressure group, Ibhetshu LikaZulu, in Bulawayo, last week that the hype around a coalition were an indication opposition parties were panicking.
“We want to do things at the spur of the moment because of the panic mode we are in now. The coalition’s primary goal is to remove [President Robert] Mugabe and that leaves most critical issues unattended.
“Removing Mugabe is not enough. When getting into a coalition, you need to understand what it is that will bind you. There is missing glue that makes the current coalition stick together and that poses potential dissenting voices in the near future,” Mzila-Ndlovu said.
He said the proposed coalition needs to be built with an understanding of the goals of the liberation struggle.
“People risked their lives because they desired to be free, but come 1980 we never saw freedom as Zanu PF started ill-treating people.
[Now] 36 years later we have not known freedom. We fought for freedom of speech and freedom after speech. Is the coalition going to restore that?
“We cannot guarantee that we are free from State agents, we do not have freedom of association, and we are not free from the hunger and we do not have universal freedoms that people should be enjoying,” the former National Healing minister said.
Mzila-Ndlovu said the coalition needs to address regional issues affecting Matabeleland.
“This is around issues of Gukurahundi, political freedom and restoration of industry, revival of hospitals and looting of resources that have contributed to the deteriorating state of the economy, among many other factors,” he said.
He added that issues of devolution of power and cultural imperialism needed attention.
MDC-T vice-president Thokozani Khupe has also been on record arguing the opposition party does not need a coalition in the Matabeleland provinces.
Mzila-Ndlovu said there were also issues of trust around those that left Zanu PF, but had not openly accounted for what they did when they were in the ruling party.
COMMENTS
zanoids don’t want a coalition, it means they won’t be able to steal as much.
Who cares what this old fool has to say! What, if anything of significance, has he ever achieved? Perhaps he should state his own agenda clearly. The people want unity, LET THEM HAVE IT, it’s the ONLY way forward.
The power of 1 =Unity.That is what the coalition is moving towards and that is what Mqabuko used to teach- yes the power of 1 (Inity, yah man).Mzila should understand that the problem and hinderance to all that he wishes to be addressed -unemployment,poverty,rule of law, truth and reconciliation is ONE man – vaMugabe.Once we remove him everything shall fall in place. And the easiest way to remove him is to be One -United. The coalition will be ZIMBABWE UNITED.End of all misery. Corruption;we will cross that bridge when we get to it -Once the rotten head of the fish is removed by One Man One Vote. Simple.