MDC M coalition with ZAPU?

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By Nqaba Matshazi

Sunday, 26 September 2010

MDC-M and the revived Zapu are engaged in behind-the-scenes talks in the hope of coming up with a coalition leading up to elections, which are likely to be held next year, a high-level source revealed last week.

On the other hand the source ruled out unity with the faction led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai as being virtually a “non-starter”.

“There are people from both sides who are pushing for talks, although there is nothing substantive at the moment,” the source said.

Tsvangirai has already held out at an olive branch to the formation led by his deputy, Arthur Mutambara, but that was rebuffed by Welshman Ncube, the secretary-general. Ncube has labelled Tsvangirai’s overture insincere, saying he should go beyond just uttering public statements, without offering much in terms of action.

“The current position is that attempts have been made towards the signing of a reunification pact but Tsvangirai’s MDC rejected that,” he said recently. “As far as we are concerned, this is where we are.”

The source, a senior official in Mutambara’s camp, said they felt hard done by MDC-T and prospects of reunification were close to nil.

This contradicts statements made by MDC-M secretary for legal affairs David Coltart, who said he regretted the split and hoped that talks on reunifying the two formations would commence.

“There is a chance that we might work with Zapu, but anything else is highly unlikely,” the source added.

Zapu spokesperson, Methuseli Moyo said there was sentiment within the two parties to come up with a working arrangement but there was nothing official.

“There is sentiment from both sides to come up with a working arrangement, but there is nothing formal and the issue has not been discussed at leadership level,” he said.

Moyo said the issue was that no one had initiated talks between the two parties, but it was a proposition that they were willing to look at.

MDC-M spokesman, Edwin Mushoriwa, however denied that there was anything of that sort, saying he was not aware of any talks.

“Actually this is the first time I am hearing about this,” he said. “It is something that has certainly not been discussed.”

His deputy, Nhlanhla Dube also concurred saying there were no discussions at any level.

Despite the denials reports of the two parties merging have refused to die down.

Earlier this year it was reported that the two parties were on the verge of forming a coalition, but this did not materialise.