Zimpapers Logo

Dr Nkosana Moyo

Pamela Shumba, Senior Reporter
PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Dr Nkosana Moyo yesterday scoffed at MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s proposed coalition of opposition parties ahead of next year’s harmonised elections, describing it as a gathering of weak political groupings who would not help the people of Zimbabwe.

Addressing a handful of people at a Bulawayo hotel, Dr Moyo said he would soon launch a political party, the Alliance for People’s Agenda (APA), to contest the 2018 elections.

The former Industry and International Trade Minister, who unceremoniously resigned from his post, had to repeatedly explain his political manifesto to his audience who quizzed him on what he has to offer.

Dr Moyo, who was described as “weak-kneed” by President Mugabe after failing to withstand the heat generated by attacks on the Government for its land reform policies, said a coalition by a group of weak political groupings was tantamount to rigging elections.

“In my view, a coalition is like rigging an election. It’s depriving the electorate the option of choosing the leader they want. As a citizen I want to be able to choose and vote for my own candidate. Don’t go around combining people and presenting people with a pre-cooked list of candidates.

“Let’s allow leaders to go to the election and persuade the citizens. Let’s have as many parties as possible taking part in the election. What are we afraid of? It’s the citizens’ rights to be told what is being offered and they choose. Zimbabweans are smart enough to choose their leaders,” said Dr Moyo.

He said a coalition was not a guarantee that the parties would triumph over Zanu-PF as some voters would stay at home simply because their leaders are no longer running the race.

Dr Moyo said in the 2013 harmonised elections, people exercised their choice.

“I know that when you add the numbers of people who voted for the opposition parties in 2013, the figures surpass those who voted for Zanu-PF. In spite of the actions of Zanu-PF and the imperfections of the party, people exercised their choice.

“There are people who still voted for the party. What we’re saying now is that these people who voted for these opposition parties should be forced to vote for one. The likelihood is that some people will stay home and not vote because their preferred candidate has been removed,” he said.

Commenting on the Zanu-PF internal political dynamics, Dr Moyo said Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, like any other senior party leader, should be given a chance to contest for the highest post in the land when the time comes as he had the right acumen to run the country.

“I know VP Mnangagwa. I know he’s a smart Zimbabwean and I respect him. I know he would run the country differently but I didn’t endorse him. It’s just a statement of fact.

“People need to understand my kind of politics. I don’t believe in politics where I insult other Zimbabweans. If you ask me about Morgan Tsvangirai I’ll tell you what I think about him. I’ll not be dragged into insulting him because it’s unnecessary,” said Dr Moyo.

“What I want is people to debate with me on my ideas on what I want Zimbabwe to be like and what I’ll do to make it like that”.

On suggestions that he was too elite to run for the country’s presidency, Dr Moyo said people were just using the description to discredit him.

Participants at the meeting expressed concern that despite his attractive manifesto, he was not clear on his strategy and methodology to win the hearts of Zimbabweans and fight a war to reconstruct the country.

Dr Moyo said he had enough money to campaign ahead of the elections, adding that he did not need any other support.

He said he had started working on the structures for his party, which will begin to take shape within a couple of months. — @pamelashumba1