By Never Kadungure
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka has dismissed allegations by Zanu PF that the new Coca Cola adverts are meant to prop up the MDC-T. Tamborinyoka said the claims show the extent of Zanu PF’s paranoia.
Coca Cola Zimbabwe launched a new campaign dubbed “Crazy for Good” which features open palm symbols on its red Coca-Cola cans and bear the slogan ‘High Five Everybody’. Zanu PF however believe the cans are indirectly meant to reflect the symbol of the MDC-T which is also an open palm.
According to the Zanu PF controlled Herald newspaper:
“What raised eyebrows is the fact that palms are on the red cans only and not on flavours that bear other colours like the blue Sprite or yellow Fanta cans. Red is MDC-T’s preferred colour.
“The timing of the campaign, coming as it does, just a few weeks before harmonised elections constitutionally scheduled for June 29 has raised suspicion,” the paper said.
But Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka told London based SW Radio Africa “Even chickens are working with the MDC-T because they have open feet which show the MDC-T symbol. Everyone according to the Herald is working with the MDC-T.”
ZANU PF’s deputy director of information, Psychology Maziwisa insisted they were taking the matter “very seriously” and “we hope that ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) will intervene in the matter” and this was “likely to cause diplomatic problems between Zimbabwe and I presume South Africa”.
Tamborinyoka responded to Maziwisa’s remarks by pointing out that the Zanu PF controlled newspaper The Herald’s mast head was also red.
“So can we say the Herald is the MDC-T because red is the MDC-T colour? If somebody beats up a woman here using a clenched fist, then we should take offense not because of a case of domestic violence but to say that he used a fist which is a ZANU PF symbol? It’s absurd,” Tamborinyoka said.
Coca-Cola senior franchise brand manager for Zimbabwe Mona Karingi said: “We are in the business of refreshing consumers and we are not associated with politics at all. I am not sure how politicians are interpreting the message.
“The colour red has been our corporate colour for the past 125 years plus. So nothing should be misconstrued with what is on our advertisement. We are just a marketing company.”
