via Makoni backs Tsvangirai – DailyNews Live by Fungi Kwaramba 8 MAY 2014
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who has expelled his rebellious allies who plotted to topple him, has received backing from opposition Mavambo Kusile Dawn (MDK) leader Simba Makoni.
Makoni, a former Cabinet minister in President Robert Mugabe’s government, joined forces with Tsvangirai ahead of the July 31 election and has rallied behind the MDC leader in the latest turmoil.
There have been overtures by expelled MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti to court Makoni, but he told journalists at his party headquarters in Harare yesterday that unlike the smaller MDC faction leader Welshman Ncube, he believes in an all-inclusive coalition that includes Tsvangirai.
While Ncube has said he was open to a coalition with Biti, he has ruled out joining hands with Tsvangirai again.
“The grand coalition should include everyone,” Makoni said.
“I do not buy the Welsh perspective. If Welsh is saying exclude Tsvangirai and Tsvangirai is saying (the coalition) is for all, then I back that perspective. I am about uniting, not dividing. I want Welsh to be in, along with Tsvangirai.”
Following the latest split in the MDC that has seen Biti break away from the main MDC formation to lead the so-called renewal faction, Makoni says he has engaged both leaders to try and heal the rift but to no avail.
“I have met both (Tendai) Biti and Tsvangirai and I have expressed the view that it is not in the interest of the democratic forces,” Makoni said.
“But we are caught up in the blame game.”
The former Zanu PF politburo member said Zimbabwe is suffering from the “big man syndrome” where most of the leaders believe in their individual invincibility.
“In the MDC, we should try to reconcile and reconnect, it is not in the interests of our parties to split,” he said.
Asked if he had been invited by the renewal team to the looming all-stakeholders convention, Makoni warned against rushing into such indabas before consulting the people.
“I am working to persuade all of us to work together,” he said.
“I however, have not been invited to the All-People’s Convention. I caution compatriots against the urge to rush.”
Revealing progress in his overtures to the country’s leadership including those in Zanu PF to form a grand coalition, Makoni, who ruled out ever rejoining the party, said there were so many bigwigs in the ruling party who were keen on joining the grand coalition but were crippled by fear.
“There is agreement that we need to work together but I have confronted this animal called fear because many are afraid to come out in the open,” Makoni said. “They say if we are seen with Simba, we would be in trouble.”
Describing Mugabe as “a prisoner of the past”, Makoni said the 90-year-old leader’s role in rescuing the country from the clutches of the crippling economic woes lay in freeing his comrades from the prison of fear.
“I have not been approached by anyone to rejoin Zanu PF and I have no intention of rejoining Zanu,” he said.
“Like the president, Zanu PF as an entity has no capacity of creating a working again Zimbabwe, but there are people in Zanu PF who have the capacity to get Zimbabwe working again.”
COMMENTS
Bit rich hearing Mokoni claiming to be a uniter. But for him MDC would have won in the first round in 08
This Makoni dude is a spent force. No self respecting man will listen to him
Misleading headline. All Makoni said is he would want both Ncube and Tsvangirai participate in the unified movement to fight Zanu p.f. How does that translate into support of one over the other?
Read carefully, “I do not buy the Welsh perspective.”
Very misleading headline.
The headline is a misrepresentation of facts.
Can’t see the support 4 Tsvangirai
makoni is a loser who failed in his political lyf
I can imagine if all suddenly unite under Tsvangirai, what would Biti do..????
He will be no body,,,… kkkk
Although the headline is misleading, this Makoni guy is talking sense. The biggest mistake was the first split. Ncube and Tsvangirai should come to gather. The problem is the “big man politics”
Each man is only thinking about his on stomach, not the nation.
Well said John Thomas.When it mattered Simba wanted to do his own thing and cost the MDC the election.Morgan has lost three elections,why do people think it will be different next time round?Lets move on to someone who is smart and has the b…s to carry the fight to ZANU PF.
I remember talking to a childhood friend from township days. I discovered he had just been recruited as part of Makoni’s team for the 2008 elections.
I asked him why they didn’t work with Tsvangirai who looked a clear front runner, to avoid splitting votes. He told me they were trying but Tsvangirai’s team did not seem at all interested.
Egos. Big egos are the problem for any united front
With his ego, Tsvangirai would want to have the most prominent role in any grand coalition. A man who flouts the constitution of his own party cannot be trusted.
Yes, Simba Makoni is making a lot of sense here by urging the opposition to exercise extreme caution in forming the so-called “grand coalition”. These are words of wisdom, of course, albeit coming from a man who opposition needs to engage with extreme caution too. This man is a kind of a Jonathan Moyo character who should be trusted by opposition at very high risk.
This is a man who was with Mugabe for 30 yrs & most of those years occupying strong cabinet positions and a number of other government-backed positions (such Head of SADC Secretariat, CEO Zimpapers, …) – courtesy of Mugabe of course. Lately, in 2008, the same guy sold gullible Zimboz a dummy when, himself & the likes Dabengwa, fronted a Zanu Pf sponsored outfit by the name Mavambo/Kusile ….; which they later openly boasted was nothing else but any instrument to split opposition votes and ensure Tsvangirai would not win the election by too large a margin for Zanu Pf & Mudede to rig. And that’s what happened, and the fellows smiled always the way to their banks to cash out their huge thank-you cheques from Zanu Pf.
If anything, this should be the last person to be trusted. My take is opposition is much safe without the likes of Simba Makoni & Dabengwa. Please be warned: “engage these guy at own risk”. Zim will sooner or later attain democracy no need for anyone to be so desperate as engage these guyz – they are not serious about change. Has anyone seen any seriousness in the way they run their respective political parties? So, who in their normal mind really thinks they are going to add any value towards the-push-to-democracy when incorporated in the so-called coalition? That’s far-fetched!
Nditii zvangu ndinotodawo kutonga Zimbabwe yacho iyoyo. I’m seek and tired about people who always preach and take no ACTION. When will the Zimbabweans get rest? When will Zimbabweans enjoying life? When Zimbabweans will have a stable economic? When will Zimbabweans will have proper and permanent jobs? I myself I’m standing up to deal with the crisis facing our country for some decades now.
Both Ncube and Biti have no constituency in Zimbabwean politics – what coalition then are they forming – paper coalition???? People don’t play with our brains plz. The only person with popular support in Zimbabwe is Tswangirai and even Mugabe knows that even though he jealously may try to deny it. Anywhere the world knows the truth now. These two useless gentlemen had better get out of the political seen – they are causing a lot of unnecessary confusion as they are a confused lot themselves.
i do nt believe makoni if he want 2 join mdc he should do so instead of supporting morgan
As long as tsvangirai is at the forefront nothing is going to work, he is a betrayer, coward and limited to politicking, lets come up with a another party and a new leader than the above Youngman t.