WHEN the MDC-T and its cohorts were making noise about the so-called ‘grand’ coalition, one name that loomed large was that of ZANU PF, the Party that will win next year’s harmonised elections.
The MDC-T has every reason to be very afraid.
The ZANU PF machine is, as always, ready to roll.
Focus this week is on the MDC-T and the disaster that is about to befall the stuttering opposition outfit.
A fierce row is erupting in the opposition MDC-T with serious disagreements by the party’s top officials over the proposed ‘grand’ coalition with Joice Mujuru’s National People’s Party (NPP) threatening to tear the opposition movement apart.
The MDC-T is pinning its hopes on the proposed grand coalition which they hope will dislodge ZANU PF from power in the 2018 harmonised elections but closer home things are not looking all rosy.
Topping the list of what we have learnt and has been described as ‘deep rooted’ divisions is the issue of positions, especially by the party’s top brass.
Two of the party’s co-vice presidents Nelson Chamisa and Thokozani Khupe, who, before coalition talks commenced, were said to be sworn enemies have in the recent past ‘found each other’.
The duo is said to be pursuing different routes which converge at their agreement that MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai must not lead the coalition.
A critical analysis shows that Khupe seems to favour Mujuru to lead the coalition while Chamisa is said to be vehemently opposed to the arrangement.
Khupe and Mujuru have participated at various forums, raising the spectre of a possible strong companionship between the two women.
Khupe believes Tsvangirai is no longer an attractive proposition, a line of thinking that caused the MDC-T’s divorce from former stalwarts Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma in April 2014.
This was the second time the MDC split since its formation in 1999.
The first split was on October 12 2005.
Another battle seems to be brewing from Chamisa who is completely opposed to the consummation of the coalition as he is said to be afraid of losing his position as co-vice president.
He is reported to have confided this to his backers.
Apparently Chamisa enjoys support from the majority who believe the coalition must collapse.
The youthful Chamisa has in the past been accused of harbouring ambitions to succeed Tsvangirai.
He lost the position of organising secretary to staunch Tsvangirai ally Douglas Mwonzora in a move said to have been instigated by the MDC-T leader.
Tsvangirai, Mujuru and former strong ally Welshman Ncube signed a memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to put a coalition in place.
But this publication has warned several times that it would not come to fruition.
Indeed signs of disagreements have spilled to the public domain with Mujuru touting herself as the ‘suitable’ leader for the coalition, throwing the arrangement into disarray.
According to Mujuru, she brings the ‘much needed’ and sadly lacking war veteran card that those in the opposition claim has been behind the MDC’s successive electoral defeats since 2000.
She also argues that she has a ‘good’ moral standing compared to Tsvangirai whose scandals involving a string of women have been a matter of public record.
Tsvangirai is also battling to contain simmering dissent within his party as officials fear the coalition will bring to an end their careers.
Fearing a possible and impending embarrassment, the MDC-T has already started accusing ZANU PF and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) of infiltrating their party.
This coalition is not going to succeed due to a number of reasons.
In the first instance, there is a general belief that the MDC-T is giving too much away by entering into an agreement with other parties.
Second, within the party itself, many bigwigs fear losing their positions, as a result the officials are derailing the whole process.
The MDC-T met recently, where it is said tempers flared, with top officials exchanging harsh words over the coalition issue.
Tsvangirai has, however, been adamant, stressing consistently that the coalition will go ahead.
He has also infuriated his colleagues in the proposed grand coalition who accuse him of adopting a big brother mentality.
The coalition partners say Tsvangirai wants to dictate the pace at which the coalition must move, in the process diminishing their prospects of having a say in the arrangement.
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu claims things are ‘well’ within his embattled party.
“President Morgan is leading our party’s negotiations with other opposition political parties regarding the formation of a grand coalition to face ZANU PF in the 2018 elections,” says Gutu.
“The MDC is a united and focused political party under the able and visionary leadership of president Morgan Tsvangirai.
“Please note that coalition negotiations are not conducted in public nor in the media. In the fullness of time, president Tsvangirai will announce the outcome of the coalition negotiations. So far so good.”
It remains to be seen if Tsvangirai will be able to contain the dissent that is slowly but surely erupting in his party.
With an opposition like this, ZANU PF surely does not need to campaign.
All it has to do is to forge ahead with its empowerment programmes.
Let those with ears listen.