(Last Updated on September 21, 2015 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – Higher Education minister, Jonathan Moyo has claimed that the alleged secret talks between his Zanu PF and the opposition MDCT and MDC parties are fronted by people keen on toppling President Robert Mugabe.
On Saturday, NewsDay reported that the talks are aimed at rescuing the collapsing economy but Moyo said it would be “treacherous” to engage “political losers” (MDCs) as Zanu PF had more than two thirds majority in Parliament
“Successionists using the cover of interparty talks to stampede President Mugabe out of his electoral mandate are playing with fire!'” warned Moyo on his Twitter account.
According to reports, Zanu PF was represented in the talks by July Moyo and Oppah Muchinguri- Kashiri, while Douglas Mwonzora and Lynette Karenyi represented MDC-T, with Moses Mzila Ndlovu and Mirriam Mushayi representing the Welshman Ncube-led MDC.
These informal meetings are reportedly supported by the Zimbabwe Institute (ZI) to facilitate continuous dialogue between political parties. ZI was formed during the inclusive government and its secretariat handled the administration of the Joint Monitoring and Operations Committee at the height of the political feuding in Zimbabwe.
But Moyo yesterday questioned when July Moyo and Muchinguri were appointed Zanu PF representatives in interparty talks.
“Isaac Maphosa his socalled Zimbabwe Institute can fool gullible donors, but dreams of another Global Political Agreement (GPA), will this time be a nightmare!” Moyo said
“The only sensible thing to do with more than two thirds majorityin Parliament is to use it for economic recovery by engaging business!”
The Zanu-PF Government has not – and will not – engage any opposition party to solicit assistance in transforming Zimbabwe’s economy,
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba said Zanu-PF Government has not — and will not — engage any opposition party to solicit assistance in transforming Zimbabwe’s economy.
Charamba said: “What they are contriving through that story is to say everyone is meeting Tsvangirai, hence there is nothing untoward, nothing unusual in People First doing the same.
“It is to naturalise an odd development where an ex-freedom fighter connects with a British-related political party, where an ex-freedom fighter drives resources with which to organise politically from the same British she fought yesterday.
“So, the idea is to now contrive a non-event, paste it on the President, paste it on Zanu-PF; in which case liaison with the British, liaison with the Americans, liaison with the MDC-T becomes natural – part of the national process. It’s a contrivance; there is nothing of that sort that happened. Nothing of that nature has happened.
“It is a matter of trying to naturalise the scandalous liaison that is taking place between the so-called People First and MDC-T.
“They want to create a setting which appears natural in their search for an alliance which goes contrary to what Mujuru represented as a Zanla cadre.”