Tsvangirai denies talks with Mujuru
Main News Politics Zimbabwe

Tsvangirai denies talks with Mujuru

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai says his party has not yet held any formal talks for a possible coalition with the People First (PF), a movement linked to former Vice-President Joice Mujuru.

 

Mujuru and Tsvangirai

Tsvangirai made the remarks in a wide-ranging interview with a South African television station, Africa News Network 7, on Monday night.

Since the announcement by PF officials, including former Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and the former secretary for administration in the ruling party, Didymus Mutasa, that they would regroup and join others in fighting Zanu PF in 2018, there has been a lot of speculation of talks between PF and MDC-T.

But Tsvangirai said the ex-Zanu PF officials needed to start by forming a party first before committing themselves to the talks.

“To my knowledge, there has never been any coalition discussions. There have been expressions, public expressions, from Mai Mujuru’s group (and) we have equally said that those who would like to work with us, including Mai Mujuru’s group, must first of all create institutions so that it becomes an institutional discussion, not individual discussions,” Tsvangirai said.

This comes at a time when the former Premier was intensifying campaigns to reconnect with his grassroots supporters to prepare for a potentially bruising fight with the ruling party in 2018.

MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu told NewsDay yesterday that his boss would be embarking on whirlwind provincial tours starting with Mashonaland West today.

“President Morgan Tsvangirai is embarking on a tour of Mashonaland West province commencing tomorrow [today]. He will be meeting with the local party leadership as well as holding public rallies,” Gutu said.

Tsvangirai is set to visit Hurungwe Central constituency today, tomorrow he will be addressing a rally at Alaska Township in Chinhoyi, then on Saturday he will be at Dombwe business centre in Chegutu East constituency before rounding off on Sunday at Cassa Ground, Zvimba East constituency.

According to Gutu, Tsvangirai will be explaining the party’s position regarding the deteriorating economic situation in the country as well as clarifying why the party had adopted the “without reforms no elections” resolution.

Gutu further said Tsvangirai would outline various measures that the party was taking to ensure the Zanu PF government gives in to their demands for electoral reforms before the holding of the next harmonised elections.

“The MDC realises that the Zanu PF regime has totally failed to resuscitate the comatose economy and, as the government-in-waiting, we have found it necessary to reach out to the toiling masses of Zimbabwe in order to give them hope as well as reassuring them that the darkest hour is just before dawn,” Gutu said.

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