(Last Updated on January 3, 2013 by Editor)
HARARE – Mavambo Kusile Dawn (MKD) leader Simba Makoni has declared he will form the next government because he is working with both Zanu PF and MDC officials who believe he is the ideal man to lead Zimbabwe.
He made similar claims in 2008 before massively losing the presidential election.
In an interview with the Daily News, Makoni, whose own party is struggling with internal divisions, astoundingly claimed he was headed for the State house on the backing of shadowy support from the two major parties in government.
In 2008, the former Finance minister polled eight percent of the presidential vote in a race won by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who came close to becoming Zimbabwe’s president.
Tsvangirai failed to garner the 50 percent plus one vote which were needed to get the keys for the State house and instead was forced into a bloody run-off with President Robert Mugabe which he aborted days before polling citing massive violence against his supporters.
“In the next election MKD will be the largest party in Parliament. If you are the largest party in Parliament you form the executive. It’s important to win Parliament in order to win the executive office. So we will form the next government.
“I am not taking Zimbabweans for granted. We are not going to fold our hands and say Zimbabweans are thoroughly fed up with Zanu PF and Robert Mugabe and they are increasingly being fed up with Morgan Tsvangirai so they will come to us. No. We will go to them and we are going to them to convince them that we offer better prospects than the other two,” Makoni said.
He said his performance in the 2008 polls which his critics grudgingly say saved Mugabe and Zanu PF, spurs him on to go and do bigger things in 2013. His ally then, Dumiso Dabengwa later told the media that Makoni’s project was specifically meant to dilute votes and save Mugabe from losing.
Makoni now says he enjoys support to dislodge the same he reportedly protected in 2008.
“There are many members of Zanu PF who support these values, they had constraints in coming out and professing and pronouncing that in public.
There are also many in the MDC who support the same and have similar constraints about coming out to say it in public.
But the fact is in that their hearts and in their minds they know that this is whats good for Zimbabwe now and going into the future,” said Makoni, sounding much like he did in 2008.
“Because of the rigidity in our situation and intended fear, how people will behave in the ballot station is what will tell. But 2008 is very illustrative. Mugabe keeps talking about bhora musango. And he knows exactly what is he talking about.
“They were in 2008 then there will be even more in 2013, people who are carrying certain party cards in their pockets who will not vote for candidates of their party or the party whose card is in their pockets. Absolutely. It is highly likely that there will be more bhora musango in 2013 than there was in 2008.” Daily News