By Tendai Kamhungira
National People’s Party (NPP) president — also the People’s Rainbow Coalition (PRC) leader — Joice Mujuru has said since MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s death, no constructive engagements have been made between the parties towards achieving the grand coalition.
Mujuru and Tsvangirai — who died in on February 14, 2018 after a long battle with cancer of the colon — had signed a memorandum of agreement in a bid to work together in dislodging Zanu PF from power.
But since Tsvangirai’s departure, the parties have been having differences in ideology, forcing them to work as different entities.
The MDC, now led by Nelson Chamisa, is part of the MDC Alliance, a coalition of seven political parties, while at the same time, Mujuru is leading the PRC.
However, rumours have been swirling claiming Mujuru had joined the MDC Alliance, forcing her — through her spokesperson Gift Nyandoro — to dismiss the claims.
“Since the death and burial of…Tsvangirai, there has never been resumption of constructive engagement by the parties involved, except social media falsehoods of NPP having resolved to join MDC Alliance. For the record NPP is a proud member of People’s Rainbow Coalition, a coalition that is open to further engagement with other progressive opposition forces should circumstances demand,” he said.
This is happening when time seems to be running out for over 100 political parties that are seeking to end Zanu PF’s 38 years in power.
According to Nyandoro, NPP has not made a resolution to join the MDC Alliance and had not conducted a meeting to that effect.
“NPP is well aware of kindergarten political theatrics by political populists and opportunists who think that stage managing falsehoods would deter NPP from value-driven processes. NPP has never deviated from the belief that genuine and bona fide political opposition need one another in fighting Zanu PF regime.
“To that end NPP wishes to dismiss the falsehoods that it has resolved to join MDC Alliance with the contempt it deserves. Deliberations of such magnitude are not done through social media but proper channels of engagement with announcements being made at the appropriate time and forums,” Nyandoro said. – DailyNews
