Tsvangirai not anointed coalition leader: Mujuru Mr Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Tsvangirai

Morgan Tsvangirai

Lloyd Gumbo, Harare Bureau
THERE is no God-given instruction that MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai should be the leader of the yet to materialise coalition of opposition parties, despite that the former Premier is “power drunk” and desperate for the top position, Dr Mujuru’s National People’s Party has said.

NPP spokesperson Mr Mawarire said in a statement that Mr Tsvangirai was so “power drunk” that he would not mind accepting nomination to lead the envisaged coalition from shadowy characters and without following democratic processes.

He viciously attacked the Daily News which initially rooted for Dr Mujuru and tried to package her for the crown, but has since changed stance by supporting Mr Tsvangirai.

“Equally, headlines that insinuate that Mujuru dithers on opposition coalition are being crafted by the Daily News to plant negative perceptions around Mujuru and NPP on matters to do with coalition, as if there is a God-given instruction that all parties must endorse Tsvangirai as the coalition leader,” he said.

Mr Mawarire said Mr Tsvangirai was desperate to lead the so-called coalition of opposition parties to the extent of hiring ZimPF elder Mr Didymus Mutasa to do the bidding for him.

Mr Mutasa, together with Dr Mujuru and other expelled members of Zanu-PF formed ZimPF last year in an effort to spite the ruling party, but soon parted ways following serious in-house fighting over leadership positions.

Mr Mutasa said during a failed National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) protest last week that Mr Tsvangirai was supposed to lead the coalition of opposition parties.

“It should, however, be made abundantly clear that Mujuru and NPP are amenable to a coalition, but we are against individuals who are so power drunk to the extent of wanting to be endorsed by questionable characters who have no political party, have a dirty and murderous past and are known now for their desperate attempts at getting back to good terms with Mugabe,” said Mr Mawarire.

“Surely, if you see the devil pretending to be an usher to take you to heaven, that’s a good enough sign that you are approaching hell.

“It is imperative that political parties form a coalition, but it is politically dangerous to have characters that are so desperate to lead the coalition that they don’t want a democratic process to select the leader of the coalition.”

Mr Mawarire accused Mr Tsvangirai of being so power drunk to the extent of turning “the Nera platform into an endorsement pedestal”.

“The desperation to have Tsvangirai as the coalition leader is manifest in some contrived and funny endorsements by politically tainted people like Mutasa who, only yesterday, were fighting tooth and nail to stall any progress that we were making to ensure an MoU between our parties was signed,” he said.

Mr Mawarire said the NPP wanted parties to form a pre-election coalition, whose leader should be elected through a “legitimate, plausible and credible process”.

But Mr Tsvangirai’ spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborinyoka dismissed Mr Mawarire’s claims that Mr Tsvangirai was desperate to lead the coalition.

“Mr Tsvangirai is not desperate for anything and cannot be held accountable for what other leaders said about him at the Nera demonstration, with neither force nor coercion imposed on them,” he said.

“Our position on what Mr Mawarire said is something that we can communicate directly to Mawarire himself without the voluntary mediation of The Herald.

“On the issue of coalitions in general, we don’t negotiate through the media, least of all through The Herald.”

There are indications that Mr Tsvangirai and Dr Mujuru are in tussle over who between them should lead the proposed coalition.

You Might Also Like

Comments