MDC-T vice president Nelson Chamisa has declared that the MDC Alliance must be led by Morgan Tsvangirai to avert disunity in the opposition ranks ahead of next year’s crunch elections.
Chamisa said while the party is clear on the importance of a united opposition in the 2018 ballot, leadership of such coalition pacts must be under people who are acceptable to majority of people and perceived as loyal to the democratic cause.
“Shona inoti chengaose manhanga hapana risina mhodzi. We are working with war veterans,” declared Chamisa speaking during a rally in Chikomba on Saturday.
“Our bus as MDC is never full, even on the carrier we invite you Mai (Joice) Mujuru but what we do not want is for you to drive because we can’t be sure you won’t take it back to where it’s coming from.
“I have been sent by president (Morgan) Tsvangirai to say we need everyone. Even (Tendai) VaBiti although you had gone wherever you had gone influenced by the wrong spirit, you can come back but as you come there is no leaf which can return to its stem after falling. It can only help the tree to grow well.”
The imagined grand coalition first mooted after a thorough defeat of the opposition in the 2013 election has become a contentious issue as opposition leaders fail to agree on a candidate to lead the alliance among other power sharing issues.
As a result, there have been many opposition groupings including one led by Mujuru, and another by former energy minister Elton Mangoma.
Other opposition supporters have also rejected the idea of forming a coalition with former Zanu PF members such as Mujuru and other former government and ruling party officials.
The say Mujuru and her colleagues did not leave Zanu PF voluntarily and would likely still be in the ruling party if they had not been fired by President Robert Mugabe.
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