Tsvangirai promises Zim opposition unity

By Bridget Mananavire

HARARE – Amid the political and economic gloom enveloping the country and that critics blame on President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has promised Zimbabweans “a Christmas gift” of unity among all opposition parties.

The former prime minister in the government of national unity said the envisaged “unity gift” would include former Vice President Joice Mujuru’s People First movement and his former secretary-general Tendai Biti’s People’s Democratic Party, all in a bid to end Mugabe’s 35-year rule and the country’s myriad crises.

Delivering his end of year address yesterday, Tsvangirai said there was no doubt that the current national crises required a unified opposition that would come up with solutions for Zimbabwe after Mugabe had been vanquished.

“Zimbabweans want to see unity of purpose and I can assure you that a broader, collective agenda will soon be unveiled to the nation by the relevant people after the relevant consultations,” Tsvangirai said.

He added that Zanu PF had failed to resolve the problems that it had created, as it was swamped by its factional and succession wars that had plunged the party into a crisis, and with the “supposed mega deals” that the government had recently signed achieving nothing.

“As political leaders, we know what Zimbabweans want and expect in the wake of a party in government so out of sorts that the fixation with succession issues and positions have taken centre-stage at the expense of a despondent people.

“Together, we are stronger. Together, we are better. We resolved at our last congress that we will work with others in the broader democratic movement to deal with the national challenges.

“Two weeks ago, together with others in the broader political movement, we publicly signed the National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) document.

“Nera will deal with the underlying electoral challenges that are at the core of the crisis of legitimacy that has held the nation at ransom and impeded progress,” Tsvangirai said.

He also referred to last Friday when a convergence meeting planned by the church, civil society and opposition political parties almost failed to take place after the police banned it.

It was only after a High Court order was issued that the participants were able to meet at the City Sports Centre, to discuss niggling governance deficiencies in the country, including the need for electoral reforms.

“They may try to stop our convergence as Zimbabweans from diverse backgrounds, but they cannot stop the collective spirit of Zimbabweans and the imminent, lasting change whose time has come,” Tsvangirai said.

He blamed all the challenges facing Zimbabwe on the “crisis of legitimacy” surrounding the disputed 2013 national elections, saying only electoral reforms would bring back confidence in the country.

He also said that his party was in the process of finalising a new blueprint of how to rescue the country from its current problems.

“We have gone beyond simply being seasoned critics of Zanu PF and Robert Mugabe. The real solution is a credible, bankable plan of how to rescue and resuscitate the country beyond Mugabe and Zanu PF.

“What is now urgent is a clear policy framework on what can be done to address power generation, to create jobs and to bring the economy back on the rails, among other issues,” Tsvangirai said.

“At 91, whether by natural or other factors, we must begin to plan and budget for a post-Mugabe scenario and have in place bankable and credible programmes to rescue the country from this abyss.

“I am glad to announce that we in the MDC are tying up the loose ends of a comprehensive policy programme post-Mugabe and post-Zanu PF,” he added.

With the bulk of Zimbabweans unemployed, civil servants not getting their salaries and bonuses, and electricity blackouts now the norm, the spirits of Zimbabweans have been dampened, Tsvangirai said, adding however, that hope was not completely lost.

“In the middle of all this gloom, it is our wish to lift the spirits of the despondent people of Zimbabwe and give them a befitting Christmas present by showcasing national convergence regarding the key challenges facing the people.

“Let us all take time this Christmas to reflect on the future of our country and whether this country really deserves this penury when it is endowed with abundant resources and an educated human capital.

“I know it is going to be a difficult and bleak Christmas considering that we all do not have disposable income. But let us use the little we have to share the little joy and happiness we can afford with friends, family and relatives.

“Let us pray and celebrate the birth of Christ, even in the middle of the debilitating crisis we face,” Tsvangirai said. Daily News