Tendai Biti’s PDP to hold a pro-coalition anniversary

By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by Tendai Biti will hold its first anniversary on 11 September in Bulawayo with a theme calling for a political coalition.

The anniversary will be held under the theme, #TogetherAnotherZimbabweIs Possible, which Solomon Madzore, the PDP national organising secretary, said is “based on the realisation that all political parties need to form a united front to resoundingly defeat the Zanu PF regime”.

In a statement, Madzore said various political parties, civic society and foreign embassies would give solidarity messages.

PDP was formed in September 2015 after Biti led a split from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) led by Tsvangirai who the breakaway team accused of failed leadership and had called for the expulsion of numerous legislators aligned to the former secretary general.

“(The) PDP has managed to grow significantly, its membership base across the country as evidenced by the high turnout at its activities held in all provinces.

There are increasing calls for the opposition to form a united front to challenge President Robert and Zanu PF at the 2018 elections as parties have in the past split votes.

The parties are currently engaging under the National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA) and the Coalition of Democrats (CODE) to pool efforts.

The leading opposition parties, MDC-T and newly formed Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) led by Joice Mujuru, have shown their keenness to join a grand coalition that has in the past failed because of political egos. Nehanda Radio