MDC-T courts Zapu

Politics
MDC-T treasurer-general Roy Bennett has revealed that his party is still negotiating with Zapu to form a grand coalition to unseat Zanu PF

MDC-T treasurer-general Roy Bennett has revealed that his party is still negotiating with Zapu to form a grand coalition to unseat Zanu PF in Wednesday’s polls.

Report by Victoria Mtomba

Bennett told our sister newspaper NewsDay in Johannesburg last week that Zapu secretary-general Ralph Mguni and MDC-T’s Elton Mangoma were spearheading the talks.

The coalition talks were reportedly taking place nearly three weeks after Zapu and MDC forged their own pact while the MDC-T sealed a similar agreement with Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn and Zanu-Ndonga.

“We have had a very serious approach from the Zapu structures to disown Dabengwa,” Bennett claimed.

“His own structures are disowning him now because they are totally in contrast to his view. It is not the view of the constituency nor the leadership structures of Zapu.”

Mangoma confirmed the development in a telephone interview yesterday.

“There are Zapu people we are working with us and they have disowned Dabengwa as he is doing his own thing,” he said. “I am at a rally now and cannot give you more details.”

Mguni confirmed the talks, but rejected claims that Zapu structures were rebelling against Dabengwa.

“There are people that have been trying to act as intermediaries and they have done a shoddy job out of it,” he said.

“The intermediaries on Tuesday (last week) said they had arranged for me to meet the MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti and when I turned up at Harvest House, he was not there.

“I was phoned and told he was tied up elsewhere. They approached us.

“We are open to discussions on a grand coalition as long as they are serious.”

Mguni said Dabengwa had been briefed about his scheduled meeting with Biti, describing reports of a Zapu split as fictitious.

“That is absolute nonsense. We are one as Zapu,” he maintained.