MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa has been
approached by emissaries claiming to represent former president Robert Mugabe
and seeking an electoral pact, it has been revealed.
According to impeccable sources, National Patriotic Front
(NPF) leaders led by Eunice Sandi Moyo met Chamisa last Thursday for two hours
at his Harare offices where the issue of a possible coalition was raised.
Mugabe in March pledged to support the NPF if it was
committed to dislodging President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom he said was in power
illegally following a coup against him in November last year.
Former Bikita South MP Jeppy Jaboon and former Harare South
MP Shadreck Mashayamombe accompanied Sandi Moyo to the meeting.
However, the meeting said to have caused division in the
NPF with some leaders claiming that they were not consulted. They disputed
claims that the three were sent by Mugabe.
There is a feeling among some NPF leaders that the party
should first establish structures before negotiating electoral pacts.
NPF spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire, who was reportedly
unaware of the meeting and got to know about it when he called Chamisa while
his three colleagues were still at the MDC Alliance leader’s offices, said
Mugabe had not instructed anyone to hold coalition talks on his behalf.
He admitted calling Chamisa but said there was nothing
extraordinary about the phone called as they always interacted.
“It is unfortunate if any colleague is dragging the name of
President Mugabe into their private discussions with the MDC,” Mawarire said.
“We have not made it a secret as a party that we are free
to consult President Mugabe on any matter that we see fit but certainly, we
have not consulted him or sought his opinion on the need to enter into an
electoral pact with any political party.
“It is unfortunate that some comrades find it expedient to
strengthen their bargaining positions by falsely claiming that their actions
are backed by NPF and have Mugabe’s blessings.”
He said the party had not yet appointed any team to
negotiate for an electoral pact and has not even opened up consultations for
the same.
“Any attempt to do it outside the party is selfish and not
strategic and not helpful to the party’s envisaged alliance partners,” Mawarire
said.
“ The NPF believes in the collective wisdom of its
supporters.”
Mashayamombe and Jaboon were both not reachable for comment
but the former Harare South MP addressed an MDC Alliance rally in Harare South
a few weeks ago.
MDC-T deputy spokesperson Tabitha Khumalo referred
questions to MDC Alliance spokesperson Welshman Ncube. But Ncube was not
picking his calls last night.
Meanwhile, an NPF meeting chaired by Sandi Moyo on April 10
and another one on April 9 chaired by party leader Ambrose Mutinhiri resolved
to first build strong structures and make an internal appraisal of the strength
and weaknesses of the party before entering into any coalition pact for
electoral purposes. Standard
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