The political onslaught on Vice-President Joice Mujuru continues, now with allegations that she plans to form a new political party in which Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai would either be second president or prime minister. While, on paper the ideas sounds plausible because Mujuru is under siege from the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front it is most unlikely that Mujuru can leave ZANU-PF as she knows that ZANU-PF will take her to the cleaners. While the exposures might not cost her political support, her image will be shattered especially with the documentary evidence that ZANU-PF can unleash. It is also not clear whether after three attempts on the country’s top post, Tsvangirai will accept to play second fiddle, but most importantly whether his supporters would endorse such an arrangement. Tsvangirai said yesterday his party was writing a new script for the endgame but added: “We have resolved to create a united team of democrats and a cohesive party machinery that will win the next elections, whenever they are going to be held. We are going to invest our effort to ensure the people’s mandate is not stolen again.” Up to now Tsvangirai supporters have argued that he must be at the helm and would prefer him to be president with Mujuru as his junior. Although there have been several splits in ZANU-PF since it was formed 51 years ago, none has had any significant impact. Even the party founding president Ndabaningi Sithole failed to make an impact when he was sidelined from the main wing. The ZANU-PF congress due in less than two weeks will provide the roadmap, as people are waiting to see if the party will provide an alternative to Robert Mugabe who has led the party for the past 37 years and will be 91 in three months.
(151 VIEWS)
