Transcript of the BBC HardTalk Interview
Stephen Sackur (SS) - President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe is in his 80’s, his country is in economic collapse and his ruling party is divided over his succession and yet Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, seems preoccupied with internal battles. My guest today, in Johannesburg, is a senior member of the MDC and the question is does Zimbabwe’s Opposition have what it takes to mobilize the masses?
David Coltart welcome to Hard Talk.
David Coltart (DC) - Thank you.
SS - Where do you think Zimbabwe’s Opposition should focus its efforts against Robert Mugabe now? Should it be on the streets with street protests or should it be the Parliamentary process?
DC - I think we need to realise that this isn’t actually a sprint that we had hoped but more of a marathon and we’ve got to employ a wide range of tactics against this regime; it has to be not just in the streets - it has to be in the streets to get the worlds attention - but it also needs to be in the Courts, it needs to be in Parliament and it needs to be in the international community.
SS - You say it’s not a sprint, but everybody knows that we are entering the ‘End Game’ for Robert Mugabe, he’s in his early 80’s, he’s faces the decision about what to do in 2008 when his current term runs out. So these matters are now pressing - you cannot wait and decide strategy in the future.
DC - No, no, we are not waiting to decide strategy in the future, this is a plan that has been in place for a while and I think it is wrong as well to say that this is going to end with Robert Mugabe’s departure. This is a structural problem. This is an issue concerning a regime and it’s a problem that goes beyond Robert Mugabe