The leader of Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change Morgan Tsvangirai has warned that Harare is on the edge of the precipice as President Robert Mugabe is losing control of his party and nation.
In an exclusive interview with VOA Studio 7 for Zimbabwe, Tsvangirai said the factional fights in Mr. Mugabe’s party are a cause for serious concern for a country that has receded into deflation and has three million people who are food insecure and unemployment estimated to be hovering around 90%.
“It’s not so much the concern about succession, it has nothing to do with that, but it has assumed such acrimonious levels that the center is not holding. You cannot be fighting while Rome is burning”
Zanu-PF officials angling to succeed President Robert Mugabe, who turns 92 next week, are reportedly at each other’s throats along factional lines.
An ambitious Zanu PF faction known as Generation 40, which is reportedly sympathetic to First Lady Grace Mugabe, is keen to derail Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa from succeeding Mr. Mugabe.
Turning to opposition politics, Tsvangirai said he is not concerned by remarks by former Vice President Joice Mujuru who registered her party Zimbabwe People First-last week and announced that MDC supporters were allegedly defecting to her party.
“Anyone can join a party of their choice. It’s not a claim of victory if you have a few members from the opposition joining you. For us we have a solid base and we wish her well joining the political fray, welcome to the opposition politics in Zimbabwe and let’s hope that she will realize that what she was part of, has caused this country to be where it is,” said Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai though did not rule out forming an opposition coalition to challenge President Mugabe who will be 94 when the country votes to elect a new leader in 2018.
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Interview With Morgan Tsvangirai