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Dr Joice Mujuru

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
THE purported grand coalition for opposition parties has suffered a stillbirth following formation of the People’s Rainbow Coalition led by former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru.

Dr Mujuru has joined three other parties to form the People’s Rainbow Coalition where she will run as their presidential candidate for 2018 elections.
The alliance comes as a blow for opposition parties who had envisioned forming a grand coalition to contest against Zanu-PF as they have admitted that the ruling party was too strong for a fragmented opposition.

Dr Mujuru expressed gratitude to the leaders of the four opposition parties for choosing her as their candidate for the 2018 elections. “I humbly accept your nomination to be the presidential candidate of the People’s Rainbow Coalition for the 2018 elections. I accept the honour, the trust, the responsibility that you have just conferred on me…. Let me express my thanks to the leadership and members of National People’s Party, leaders and members of DARE, leadership and members of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and leaders and membership of ZUNDE for their confidence in my candidacy,” said Dr Mujuru.

PRC is expected to be launched in Bulawayo on November 3.

The alliance comes on the backdrop of the MDC Alliance which In August endorsed MDC-T president Mr Morgan Tsvangirai as its presidential candidate for the coming elections.

The MDC Alliance is deputised by MDC’s Professor Welshman Ncube and includes eight other parties.

Political analyst Professor Eldred Masunungure said the discord within the opposition parties is only advantageous to Zanu-PF which he described as a one party coalition.

“It doesn’t make sense to say we have two opposition coalitions both fighting against Zanu-PF. I think it is politically unwise and politically unbeneficiary to create another opposition alliance. It does not add value to the opposition chances of upsetting Zanu-PF. I think Zanu-PF will be the one celebrating to the ballot box under the present factionalised opposition,” said Prof Masunungure.

However, MDC-T spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu expressed optimism that the opposition will coalesce before the 2018 elections. — @nqotshili