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Editor,
Zimdaily.
28th June 2006

Dear Sir,

The article you published by Tsungai Mhaka on Monday the 26th June 2006 is in some respects false and you are invited to correct the falsehoods and publicly apologise for them. Whilst I take issue with most of what has been written as it is largely comment I respect the right of Mr Mhaka to publish his views. However the sentences highlighted in the following paragraph are patently false and must be corrected:

“Notwithstanding the fact that the Tsvangirai side of the MDC has more academics and professionals than the Mutambara faction perhaps their pro-people, pro-poor agenda may not quite have resonated with the likes of Coltart. This is the same Coltart you remember who during the course of debate on the 17th constitutional amendment attempted to introduce a clause prohibiting the office of the Presidency of Zimbabwe being occupied by anyone who is not a university graduate. I understand the MDC National Council, whose decisions we are now made to believe are so sacred was never consulted before this proposed amendment was suggested.”

The facts are as follows:

I am very proud to have been a founder member of the MDC and to have been part of the courageous struggle of the MDC during the last seven years to bring an end to tyranny in Zimbabwe. In particular I was proud to be part of a united organisation that transcended the tribal, ethnic, racial and gender divisions which have plagued Zimbabwe for so long. Accordingly from the moment I became aware of the very serious divisions which emerged within the MDC in late 2004 I have been convinced that I should do all in my power to keep the party united and focused on defeating tyranny.

I believe that the split in the MDC we have observed in the last seven months has been a betrayal of the struggle for democracy and a betrayal of the massive sacrifices made by so many Zimbabweans. Because of that, although I had very strong views as to who and what was to blame for these divisions, I believed that I should do everything possible, within my own limited power, to try to reconcile the opposing factions and failing that to mediate an amicable divorce between the two factions. As is now public knowledge, those efforts came to an end when the faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai declined my offer to mediate in early May.

Since then I have consulted widely within my constituency and elsewhere. I have held several public and private meetings to consult with and listen to people. I have spoken to a wide variety of old friends, supporters and people I trust regarding what I should do. For reasons I have already explained in other public documents I cannot join the faction of the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai. That has left me with three remaining options, namely: to resign from politics altogether and to go back to civil society, to become an independent or to join the faction led by Arthur Mutambara.