Source: Tsvangirai wary of Zanu PF infiltration – DailyNews Live
Fungi Kwaramba 7 June 2017
HARARE – Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC has warned its
prospective coalition partners that it is keeping its eyes “wide open” to
avoid carrying suspected Zanu PF “spies” into the eagerly-awaited grand
alliance which will take President Robert Mugabe head-on in next year’s
polls.
Tsvangirai and leaders of the smaller opposition parties who include
former Vice President Joice Mujuru and his one-time secretary-general,
Welshman Ncube, have signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs), as the
opposition finalises steps to form the much-talked about electoral
alliance.
“It may be concluded that if the opposition resolves internal questions
and hold together until 2018 it represents a momentous development in
Zimbabwe’s political history.
“If it maintains the support of civil society, it could lead one of the
broad-based movements against the government ever seen. It is also
important to highlight that Zimbabweans put their trust more in a bigger
opposition force,” said MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu yesterday.
“On the other hand, while a coalition should be inclusive, it does not
mean every party which claims to be an opposition party deserves a place
in the grand coalition.
“Apart from opportunists, there are also infiltrators who will seek space
in order to infiltrate and destabilise the coalition.
“Parties must demonstrate what they bring to the grand coalition beyond
their names and leaders. It should also be noted that whilst a grand
coalition is important, it is not the silver bullet for opposition
parties,” Gutu added.
Last year, Tsvangirai also told diplomats that he was wary about the “real
prospects” of the panicking ruling Zanu PF using some of the country’s
smaller opposition parties to put spanners in the works of a viable grand
coalition.
“Once again on this issue, Your Excellencies, you must understand that we
reserve our right to determine who we will work with.
“There are about 42 political parties in the country, some of them
deliberately created by Zanu PF to muddy the political waters. Some of
them are not even institutions in the true sense of the word. We will do
our own necessary diligence checks before we work with anyone,” the MDC
leader told the diplomats then.
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