FORMER vice-president Joice Mujuru appears determined to
have her name on the ballot paper in next year’s presidential elections even if
it means going head to head with opposition heavyweight Morgan Tsvangirai.
A fortnight ago Mujuru, who was fired from Zanu PF in 2014
for allegedly plotting against President Robert Mugabe, unveiled the People’s Rainbow
Coalition (PRC) as she prepared to run for the highest office next year.
However, few are giving her a chance and political analysts
said Mugabe’s former protégé still had a long way to go for her to be
considered a serious candidate.
South Africa-based political commentator Blessing Vava said
Mujuru was struggling to make an impact in opposition politics.
“It’s a coalition of individuals without any capacity to
attract the numbers. Mujuru has failed to position herself as a contender for
the presidency,” he said.
“The only coalition that is worth looking at is the MDC
Alliance, otherwise outside that framework it’s a tall order.
“Look closely, who is in that team? Little-known parties
like Zunde, these are just individuals who, if you were to ask, randomly at
Copacabana bus terminus, ‘who or what is Zunde’?, the response you will get
will not be far from, ‘do you mean Zunde ramambo? [communal agricultural
production led by chiefs].’”
University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer Eldred
Masunungure concurred, saying Mujuru’s chances against Mugabe were slim.
“It is well true for the opposition parties either
individually or collectively under the circumstances, the chances of the
coalition, whether it is the one led by Tsvangirai or that led by Mujuru
upstaging Zanu PF in the next elections, those chances are very lean,” he said.
However, Dare president Gilbert Dzikiti, who is also part
of Mujuru’s coalition, insisted the National People’s Party president was the
best candidate to take on Mugabe.
“She is definitely ready, confident and comfortable to lead
the transition and Zimbabwe as the second president of the Republic,” he said.
“She has the expertise and experience of office and is
knowledgeable of office challenges, protocol and etiquette.
“Her liberation credentials and progressive agenda makes
her acceptable across all ages and generations in Zimbabwe. Joyce Teurai Ropa
Mujuru is ready to govern and has been ready to serve since she was
vice-president of the Republic.”
Dzikiti said he was confident opposition parties, including
those in the MDC Alliance, would eventually rally behind Mujuru’s candidacy.
“It is possible to have a single coalition to challenge
Robert Mugabe and the PRC offers an inclusive platform with a value proposition
acceptable to a majority of parties,” he said.
“Greed and egos have no place in the hearts and minds of
patriotic Zimbabweans.
“Any coalition built around protecting or ring-fencing
brands and individuals without a framework towards servitude and transformation
will be a betrayal of the democratic institutional challenges we face today.”
Masunungure said greed and selfishness had become the
opposition’s undoing.
“The leadership is full of people with an egocentric view
and who have no nationalistic picture,” he said.
“It’s about positions and power and less about the people
and it is therefore difficult to see how they can converge together and mount a
united front, although there are chances that the MDC Alliance and the PRC can
work together.”
Vava concurred, saying greed was the reason efforts to form
a strong opposition coalition were not bearing fruit.
“It’s all about power; their politics is not based on any
ideological underpinnings nor principle,” he said.
“They are greedy and are ready to sacrifice principle on
the altar of convenience.”
Mujuru has in the past said a coalition with Tsvangirai is
still possible and some believe the formation of the PRC was meant to give her
more bargaining power in the negotiations. Standard
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