via No talks with Mujuru: Tsvangirai – NewsDay Zimbabwe November 5, 2015
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai says his party has not yet held any formal talks for a possible coalition with the People First (PF), a movement linked to former Vice-President Joice Mujuru.
BY OBEY MANAYITI
Tsvangirai made the remarks in a wide-ranging interview with a South African television station, Africa News Network 7, on Monday night.
Since the announcement by PF officials, including former Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and the former secretary for administration in the ruling party, Didymus Mutasa, that they would regroup and join others in fighting Zanu PF in 2018, there has been a lot of speculation of talks between PF and MDC-T.
But Tsvangirai said the ex-Zanu PF officials needed to start by forming a party first before committing themselves to the talks.
“To my knowledge, there has never been any coalition discussions. There have been expressions, public expressions, from Mai Mujuru’s group (and) we have equally said that those who would like to work with us, including Mai Mujuru’s group, must first of all create institutions so that it becomes an institutional discussion, not individual discussions,” Tsvangirai said.
This comes at a time when the former Premier was intensifying campaigns to reconnect with his grassroots supporters to prepare for a potentially bruising fight with the ruling party in 2018.
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu told NewsDay yesterday that his boss would be embarking on whirlwind provincial tours starting with Mashonaland West today.
“President Morgan Tsvangirai is embarking on a tour of Mashonaland West province commencing tomorrow [today]. He will be meeting with the local party leadership as well as holding public rallies,” Gutu said.
Tsvangirai is set to visit Hurungwe Central constituency today, tomorrow he will be addressing a rally at Alaska Township in Chinhoyi, then on Saturday he will be at Dombwe business centre in Chegutu East constituency before rounding off on Sunday at Cassa Ground, Zvimba East constituency.
According to Gutu, Tsvangirai will be explaining the party’s position regarding the deteriorating economic situation in the country as well as clarifying why the party had adopted the “without reforms no elections” resolution.
Gutu further said Tsvangirai would outline various measures that the party was taking to ensure the Zanu PF government gives in to their demands for electoral reforms before the holding of the next harmonised elections.
“The MDC realises that the Zanu PF regime has totally failed to resuscitate the comatose economy and, as the government-in-waiting, we have found it necessary to reach out to the toiling masses of Zimbabwe in order to give them hope as well as reassuring them that the darkest hour is just before dawn,” Gutu said.
COMMENTS
I respect you Mr Tsvangirai for all your courage, but you don’t have to give answers to every question that you are asked. For example you were not suppose to waste your energy on any question to do with the ex-zanu pf officials. Just refer all those questions to the group in question. After being a politician for so many years one would assume that you have learned the dirty game by now.