Divided opposition worstening Zim crisis: Makoni

A man carries a street sign as opposition party supporters clash with police in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 26,2016. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

A man carries a street sign as opposition party supporters clash with police in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 26,2016. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

Published Dec 2, 2016

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Harare – A weak and splintered opposition is making it difficult for Zimbabweans to deal with the prevailing economic and political crisis in the country, opposition Mavambo Kusile Dawn leader, Simba Makoni said on Friday.

Addressing a press conference in Harare after a meeting of 13 Zimbabwean political parties in South Africa, Makoni said the crisis in the country demanded that opposition parties work together.

“The parties further recognise the unhappy state of a weak and splintered political opposition that has, so far, failed to coordinate a serious response to the Zimbabwean crisis,” he said.

Makoni said the opposition parties had committed to building a broad coalition of all the political parties in the country in order for them to create a better Zimbabwe.

“We are committed to do all that is necessary to achieve this noble objective whose time has come, for the benefit of all Zimbabweans,” he said, adding the parties would finalise the modalities for the coalition before the end of the year.

He said they were hoping that other political parties who had not been part of the South Africa meeting would have the broad alliance.

MDC T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai and Zimbabwe People First President, Joice Mujuru did not attend the meeting. While Tsvangirai said he was not consulted, Makoni said the former Prime Minister turned down an invitation that was extended to him.

Makoni, however, said they would reach out to Tsvangirai and Mujuru and was hopeful they would reach an agreement before the end of the year.

He said the issue of who would lead the coalition was not yet under discussion as they were currently focusing on rescuing the economy which was on a free fall. The country, he said, was in a monumental crisis that had been caused by a total failure of lead leadership?

“The crisis presents itself in the form of an economic meltdown, abject poverty, violence and intimidation which is forcing citizens to live in fear and total disregard for the rule of law,” he said.

Makoni said there was also impunity and lack of accountability by leaders as well as conflation of the ruling party which led to state capture.

He said the Zanu PF government was blocking people with the necessary expertise from proffering solutions to the country’s economic problems.

Makoni said the country had a lot of people who could stir the country out of its quagmire but were being sidelined because they were not in Zanu PF or because the party was not comfortable with sound policies that threatened their positions.

“Without beating my own drum, I must say that I was one of the people with brilliant ideas when I was Finance minister in 2002 but I was booted out before I could implement my policies,” he said.

He said the turning around of the country’s economy was the major reason political parties in the country had met in Cape Town, South Africa.

African News Agency

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