Coalition will create bloated govt, warns opposition leader

By Sij Ncube

As Zimbabwe political parties coalesce to forge a grand coalition against President Robert Mugabe ahead of next year’s elections, a leader of a recently formed youthful opposition has lashed out at the proposed alliance saying it will create a bloated government.

Several opposition political parties are in talks to form a united front to challenge Mugabe and Zanu PF in polls tentatively set for July 2018.

The parties are in the meantime coalescing under the so-called National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) which comprises over a dozen parties pushing for key electoral reforms ahead of 2018.

Last week, at a rally called by Nera, a number of opposition leaders endorsed MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai as leader of the envisaged grand coalition of opposition forces.

But Blessing Kasiyamhuru, the president of the Zimbabwe Partnership for Prosperity (Zipp), told RadioVOP a coalition is not favourable to a multi-party democracy and the promotion of divergent views within the political landscape on Zimbabwe.

He said his party is not seeking change of leadership for the sake of change as advocated by proponents of a grand coalition.

“Our vision and mandate have been clear from the beginning. We are not seeking change of leadership for the sake of change. We are confident of our value proposition to fellow Zimbabweans. We shall not allow organisations to pollute our vision through coalitions.

“Coalitions defeat our aim of a lean government and ushers in patronage as parties try to accommodate different leaders in government thereby putting pressure on the taxpayer,” said Kasiyamhuru.

“With all due respect, our party does not aim to recycle leaders who have been in opposition or Zanu PF for the past 20 years. We believe Zimbabwe has produced enough young leaders who have already proven themselves in various leadership roles within and outside Zimbabwe. We seek that new generation of leaders take Zimbabwe into the new dispensation.”

He said Zipp respected the contribution of all the elders and young people in the current opposition.

“But unfortunately, we don’t share the same values of their organisations and we invite them as individuals to come partner us so that we can fully utilise the abundant human capital as the current generation,” he said.

If elected into power, his government would consist of 15 ministries, he said, adding that a bloated government has no place in the 21st century.

“A Zipp led government will adopt a service programme model in streamlining and optimising public service in Zimbabwe. The core of the will be e-government implementation. Zimbabwe can operate efficiently with only 15 ministries,” added Kasiyamhuru.

He dismissed assertions his party was a creation of Zanu PF meant to derail a united front against Mugabe.

“Everyone in Zimbabwe has links or would like to have with Zanu PF or Zapu because there are our main liberation parties. Zipp will not divorce themselves from the revolutionary agenda that our elders fought for until political independence in 1980.

“Jeremiah 23 talks of a righteous branch. A branch has come from a tree and that is the revolutionary blood that was spilled during the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe.

“Yes Zanu PF is part of our heritage because they are our fathers, brothers, mothers and sisters but we are not Zanu PF. It is time that our elders take a rest and give the business of government to the capable hands of a new generation of leaders. We are praying that President Mugabe lives to see what Zimbabwe can be within just five years of Zipp leadership.” Radio VOP