by TZN Correspondent
Former MAKONI South MP Pishai Muchauraya who got fined by a court after being convicted of sending death threats to Geoff Nyarota, his rival in MDC-T primary elections in 2013 has said RENEWAL Democrats of Zimbabwe (RDZ) is open to form a coalition of political parties to face President Robert Mugabe in the 2018 harmonised elections, but will not join hands with “murderers”.
“Muchauraya had pleaded not guilty for sending death threats charges, but was convicted by Harare magistrate Tendai Mahwe and ordered to pay a fine of US$200”
RDZ spokesperson Muchauraya told journalists in Harare Tuesday that the new opposition party would screen parties it was prepared to work with, Newsday newspaper has reported.
The party will hold its congress on Friday and Saturday to elect a substantive leadership.
“There are countries where there are more than 30 political parties and the ruling party will still be defeated,” Muchauraya said.
“It’s not a fact that if political parties are more, then Zanu PF cannot be defeated. We know that RDZ will be the next government come 2018. Our policy is very clear on coalition. Where value and principles merge, then we can talk. We also have what we call the pre-election pact where we will talk to people and make sure that we unseat Zanu PF.”
Muchauraya added that RDZ would not want to be associated with “unclean” politicians.
“Where value and principles do not converge, then there is no room for alliances. In as far those political parties which I will not mention by name, do you know how many people lost their lives through them?
“If they are here and say we are in an alliance with RDZ, yet we talk about reparations, do you think it will be possible to talk about reparations when those godfathers and those who were murdering people in recent years are there? Our values don’t allow that,” he said.
RDZ said it would not boycott the 2018 elections because it does not expect the political landscape to be favourable to them, hence they had devised mechanisms to deal with election-rigging.
Elton Mangoma, the interim leader, is expected to be confirmed as the party president at the forthcoming congress.
Mangoma recently broke ranks with Progressive Democratic Party leader Tendai Biti after they walked out on MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai last year, describing the veteran trade unionist as an obstacle to democracy.
Mangoma is set to be deputised by Beauty Kerr, while the post of national chair will be contested between Peter Nyoni and Tafara Nkole.
Trust Chikohora is expected to be confirmed as secretary-general, deputised by Costain Muguti, and the battle for organising secretary will be between Tichaona Munyanyi and Jimmy Jalif.
Muchauraya is expected to be confirmed as national spokesperson.
In 2013 , NewZimbabwe.com reported that a trial head how Muchauraya, calling from a mobile phone with his number withheld, threatened Nyarota and Sophia Chibayambuya – who was helping with his campaign – with death on separate occasions.
On February 25 ,2013, the court heard, he called Chibayambuya – an aspiring councillor – at around 1PM and questioned her about Nyarota’s flyers being distributed in her ward.
Chibayambuya said after she expressed ignorance of the said fliers, the MP asked her to investigate the matter, but then suddenly became aggressive and started making threats.
Muchauraya, she testified, claimed to have killed the former MP of the neighbouring Makoni Central constituency John Nyamande, who died in a car accident in 2010 after ramming into a stationary truck along the Harare-Marondera highway.
She recalled the MP telling her death threats : “Iyi ihondo yatotanga, tsvakurudzai vakakanda mapepa aindituka. Munoziva here kuti John Nyamande tisu takamuuraya? Anhu anopera kutsvira mudzimba ndinobva kuChipinge mishonga yese ndinoiziya[This war has started. Find those people distributing these abusive fliers. Do you know that we killed John Nyamande? You will burn in your houses, I come from Chipinge and I know all the witchcraft spells].”
