Mugabe will fall next year: Tsvangirai

Source: Mugabe will fall next year: Tsvangirai – DailyNews Live

Fungi Kwaramba      11 April 2017

HARARE – Bullish opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has vowed to finish
off President Robert Mugabe and his warring ruling Zanu PF in next year’s
make-or-break national elections – adding that he stands ready to lead the
planned grand coalition.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Daily News yesterday, the fit
again former prime minister in the government of national unity said he
had “no doubt whatsoever” that the MDC – working together with other
opposition parties – would, like it did in 2008, once again defeat Zanu PF
in 2018 and bring to an end Mugabe’s long but tumultuous rule.

“I stand ready to heed the calls by Zimbabweans that I lead … Indeed,
when I moved across the country, the people said I should lead.

“So, if that is what people want, then I am ready to lead the coalition.
But this should not be about individuals but about Zimbabwe.

“Indeed, the fight for democracy in Zimbabwe is not between Mugabe and
Tsvangirai, but between long-suffering Zimbabweans and a heartless,
looting Zanu PF,” Tsvangirai said.

“The commitment towards forming a grand coalition is there … But we must
exercise due diligence in regard to our partners.

“Imagine at the end, just before elections you have people who will say `I
was not part of the talks’ … so due diligence is very important,” added
the dogged former labour union leader, as he explained why it was taking
long to conclude the mooted coalition talks.

“Forming a coalition should not be a thumb-sucking exercise … and
therefore we have to determine the basis of what we are all bringing to
the coalition,” he added.

This comes as Tsvangirai has been working with former vice president Joice
Mujuru and other opposition parties behind the scenes to finalise the
mooted grand opposition coalition.

At the same time, analysts have said that a united opposition, fighting
with one purpose, can finally bring to an end Mugabe’s long rule,
especially at a time that the nonagenarian is fighting to keep together
his warring Zanu PF.

However, they also warn that without a broad coalition involving all the
major opposition players, Zanu PF would use “its usual thuggish and foul
methods” to retain power.

Tsvangirai has also emerged in the last few months as the undisputed sole
candidate to lead the planned electoral alliance, after getting wringing
endorsements from virtually all of the country’s serious opposition
players.

Last week, Mujuru – who now leads the National People’s Party (NPP) –
moved decisively to dispel doubts about who should lead the coalition when
she also endorsed the former prime minister in the stability-inducing
government of national unity.

A large cross-section of Zimbabweans, including civil society, has also
been making loud calls for Tsvangirai to be the face of the proposed
electoral alliance – with former senior Cabinet minister Didymus Mutasa
among the first to root for the MDC president.

Apart from Mutasa, former Finance minister and leader of
Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn, Simba Makoni, has also thrown his weight behind the
MDC leader.

Tsvangirai reiterated yesterday that he was saddened by Mujuru’s
acrimonious departure from the Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) party – where
she had a nasty public fallout with its founding fathers, Mutasa and
Rugare Gumbo.

“That was a sad development … and can you imagine the extent of the
collateral damage the split could have inflicted on the alliance if we had
already formed a grand coalition?

“But we still believe that she should be given an opportunity to
reorganise her affairs, because I think she has many positive attributes
that will add value to the coalition,” Tsvangirai told the Daily News.

Analysts have consistently said Mujuru, whose liberation struggle nom de
guerre was Teurai Ropa (Spill Blood), and whose late husband Solomon was
the first black post-independence army commander, could provide the
much-needed bridge that opposition parties have been missing to ensure the
smooth transfer of power if they win the 2018 elections like they did in
2008.

However, not everyone in the MDC appears convinced that the official
opposition requires to reach binding pacts with other players ahead of
2018.

Tsvangirai’s deputy, Thokozani Khupe, has publicly expressed her disquiet
at attempts to allow prospective coalition members to contest in
Matabeleland, where she argues the MDC has out-performed other opposition
parties in previous polls.

But Tsvangirai said “ring-fencing” regions was likely to send “the wrong
message to the voting public”.

“We should not balkanise the country as we are a national party. I don’t
believe in a Masvingo or Manicaland alliance … Coalitions should never
be about regions,” he added.

The mooted grand coalition has rattled Zanu PF and Mugabe, who last week
told his party officials that their continued brawling was likely to gift
Tsvangirai electoral victory next year.

“Yes there may be grievances, there may be contradictions and there will
always be contradictions, but when we leave our homes, when we leave our
offices to shout at each other, are you aware that Tsvangirai and others
are watching gleefully and laughing.

“Are you also aware that our enemies abroad who have always wanted to see
regime change, who desire to see Zanu PF gone, are watching with keen
interest and praying that at last the organisation we once thought was
solid, undivided and firmly united, is finally cracking.

“So, do we want to give them that chance to smile and wish us death? What
does that benefit us when we go into the streets to shout at ourselves?”
the visibly angry Mugabe asked rhetorically.

The nonagenarian’s warning came after Zanu PF supporters had held
demonstrations in Bindura, Masvingo and Gweru, where they pushed for the
expulsion of the party’s under fire national political commissar, Saviour
Kasukuwere, and two other ministers.

He pointed out these ugly party brawls were badly exposing both the former
liberation movement and its senior officials.

“They (embattled party bigwigs) might be wrong, but they are our leaders.
So, when we demonstrate against them, we are demonstrating against
ourselves and Tsvangirai will say `there they are, hear them … We do not
do that … We only do it (demonstrating) against the way we are
ill-treated by government’.

“Let us give party organs and structures the chance to deal with these
(problematic) issues. Rules and procedures must take precedence before all
else,” the nonagenarian added.