The Special Advisor to the President, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa has revealed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa extended an olive branch to the MDC-T for cabinet appointments but had to withdraw the gesture after the opposition party’s leader made ‘untenable demands.’
According to State media; Mutsvangwa revealed this when he addressed the Zanu PF Mashonaland West Provincial Coordinating Committee in Chinhoyi.
“President Mnangagwa wanted to pick some MDC-T members for ministerial posts, but held back after the party’s leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai threatened to expel from his party prospective appointees unless the opposition leader was himself given a post in the presidium,” he said.
Mutsvangwa also explained that the President had no mandate to appoint Mr Tsvangirai as a member of the presidium, given he is only completing the presidential term mandated to Zanu PF, following the 2013 election.
He also said there is nothing amiss in the appointment of generals into cabinet, since democracies such as America have former military gurus in government ranks.
The province resolved that President Mnangagwa should be the party’s sole presidential candidate in next year’s elections, and that he be the First Secretary and President of the party.