GhanaStar
  • News
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Music
No Result
View All Result
GhanaStar
  • News
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Music
No Result
View All Result
GhanaStar
No Result
View All Result
Home Headlines

Zimbabwe’s ‘odd Couple’ Seeking To Oust Mugabe

May 11, 2017
in Headlines
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

One is a female former teenage guerrilla fighter who became President Robert Mugabe’s closest ally, the other is a battle-hardened opposition leader often dismissed as a busted flush.

You Might Also Like

Ghanaian Can Travel to South Africa Visa-Free

2019 – the Biggest Year yet for Ghanaian Tourism

Three Britons On Trial In Singapore Accused of Gang-Raping Drunk Woman

But, despite their differences, Joice Mujuru and Morgan Tsvangirai are in talks to lead a united opposition alliance to try to unseat Mugabe in Zimbabwe’s much-anticipated election next year.

The president, 93 and increasingly frail, has vowed to stand again to extend his rule, which began in 1980 and has been dominated by economic collapse and political repression.

His ZANU-PF party has a stranglehold on government, the civil service and military, and has a record of election interference and voter intimidation that presents a formidable obstacle for any challenger.

“For us, it is more the merrier in this opposition alliance,” Mujuru told AFP, speaking in the garden of her large house on outskirts of Harare.

“This is a coming-together in great numbers as a democratic force that should give confidence to our people.”

Zimbabwe’s history of violent and fraud-riddled elections has eroded public trust in voting, but the coalition leaders hope a unified alternative to Mugabe will produce a high turnout that would make it harder to rig the result.

“I don’t expect Mugabe to say ‘I am going to create conditions for free and fair elections’,” Tsvangirai, 65, told AFP at his office in a tower block in central Harare.

“We need 80 percent participation, not 40 percent. If there is an overwhelming verdict, there will be no one who will stand in the way of the people.”

Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, knows first-hand the dangers of tangling with Mugabe’s regime.

Since emerging as an anti-government trade unionist in the 1980s, he has often been targeted by the security forces and was brutally assaulted by police in 2007.

He won the most votes in the first-round of the 2008 presidential elections, but poll officials said it was not enough to avoid a run-off against Mugabe.

As ZANU-PF loyalists unleashed a wave of violence, Tsvangirai pulled out of the race and became prime minister in a power-sharing government in which he was widely seen as being outmanoeuvered by Mugabe.

“ZANU-PF has not won recent elections, it has rigged them,” Tsvangirai said.

“Anyone who is interested in ending ZANU-PF should unite, in spite of ideological differences.

“I think she (Mujuru) means well. I mean well. People will realise both of us are committed to the process.”

Many of Tsvangirai’s supporters and anti-Mugabe activists view Mujuru as an untrustworthy opposition voice.

She served for 34 years as a loyal ZANU-PF minister and was a favourite to succeed Mugabe. As a youth, she fought in the war against colonial rule and was famed for shooting down an enemy helicopter.

But in 2014 she was ousted as the country’s vice-president in a purge when Mugabe’s wife Grace accused her of plotting a coup.

After forming the new National People’s Party, 62-year-old Mujuru may draw some support from former ZANU-PF voters, women, the business community — and even disgruntled members of the military.

Seen as a relative moderate within Mugabe’s circle, she recalls working well with Tsvangirai during the 2008 – 2013 power-sharing government.

“For me, it was a chance of seeing Zimbabweans working together in a more harmonious way,” she said.

“I was one of the very few people who was always receptive to opposition parties.”

The potential of a united opposition was underlined in The Gambia’s election last year when rivals came together to defeat longtime dictator Yahya Jammeh.

A new opposition alliance is also planning to fight in Kenya’s August poll.

The Zimbabwean coalition made significant progress last month by signing up Welshman Ncube, who led a group that split from Tsvangirai’s MDC.

Similar deals are in the works with the People’s Democratic Party, led by the respected former finance minister Tendai Biti, as well as with more than a dozen smaller parties.

Tsvangirai, an avid golfer who is recovering from cancer, appears set to be the coalition’s presidential candidate — with Mujuru likely to offer him her full support.

But critics say his political sway is too narrow to build a truly broad anti-Mugabe movement that would include churches, civil action groups and radical activists behind last year’s surge of street protests.

“There is little doubt that Morgan should be the leader, the issue is on what grounds the support comes from others,” said Ivor Jenkins, of the In Transformation Initiative, a South African pro-democracy group that is aiding talks among the opposition.

“The game-changer might be the realisation that this could be their last chance. If they don’t take it, there are many years of bigger chaos ahead.”

Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.

Tags: 200809 Zimbabwean political negotiationsafricaanti-Mugabeavid golferbattle-hardened opposition leadercancerDemocratic PartyfinanceFinance MinistergambiaGraceHarareIvor JenkinsJoice Mujurukenyaleaderloyal ZANU-PF ministerMorgan TsvangiraiMovement for Democratic ChangeMovement for Democratic Change (MDC)Movement for Democratic Change TsvangiraiNational People's PartyNon-Paper Containers & Packaging - NECpoliticspresidentPresidential Candidatepresidential electionsPrime MinisterRobert MugabeTendai Bitivice-president in a purgeWelshman NcubeYahya JammehZanu-PF partyzimbabweZimbabwe African National Union Patriotic FrontZimbabwean presidential election

Related News

Ghanaian Can Travel to South Africa Visa-Free

by
July 10, 2019
0

Citizens of Ghana no longer need a visa to travel to South Africa. This is because the South African Government...

2019 – the Biggest Year yet for Ghanaian Tourism

by
January 24, 2019
0

2018 was a good year for tourism in Ghana with more than GH₵5.8 billion spent in the country's travel and...

Three Britons On Trial In Singapore Accused of Gang-Raping Drunk Woman

by
August 1, 2017
0

Three British men have gone on trial in Singapore today accused of gang-raping a 23-year-old woman while visiting the city-state...

Pakistani Taliban Launches Women’s Magazine

by
August 1, 2017
0

The Pakistani Taliban on Tuesday released the first edition of a magazine for women, apparently aiming to convince its target...

Next Post

We Were Hunting For Bush Rat Not Mining- Foreign Galamseyers

TV Series Puts Human Faces On Israel-Palestinian Conflict

Trending News

Emma M’eni Nwu, Emma M’atamfo Nsere Me(Kyere Me W’akwan)

August 20, 2016

Ewurade, No Ne Me Edi No Yie (Adom Wura)

August 20, 2016

Kept By The Power Of God

August 20, 2016

About

Read today's latest news headlines from Ghana and Africa. Stay up to date on local business, sports, crime, politics, arts, culture, and more.

Categories

  • Africa & World
  • African Music Lyrics Directory
  • Business
  • Business Directory
  • celebrities
  • Computing
  • Diaspora
  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • Feature
  • Featured
  • Ghana Elections 2016
  • Headlines
  • Health
  • International
  • Internet
  • Jobs
  • lifestyle
  • Music
  • News
  • Offbeat
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Profiles
  • Religion
  • Security
  • Seth Terkper
  • Smart Home
  • Social Networks
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Top Stories
  • World News

Tags

accra addo africa Association football Banks - NEC business Business_Finance chairman Donald Trump economy education Entertainment_Culture environment Geography of Africa ghana Ghanaian people government Government of Ghana Human Interest John Dramani Mahama john mahama Law_Crime mahama minister MPs elected in the Ghanaian parliamentary election Nana Addo Nana Addo Dankwa Nana Akufo-Addo National Democratic Congress National Democratic Congress (NDC) New Patriotic Party New Patriotic Party (NPP) nigeria politics Politics of Ghana president Social Issues Social Media Social Media & Networking sports United Kingdom United Nations United States Vice President War_Conflict

Recent Posts

  • Inflation in Ghana Hits All Time High of 27.6% for May 2022
  • Award Winning Artiste Mr. Eazi Features FiancéE Temi Otedola in New Single, Titled Legalize
List of Ghana Holidays for 2020
Ghana Geocoding
Ghana Cedis Exchange API
Ghana Maps Service
Toyota Cars Auto Auction History
  • African Music Lyrics Directory
  • Business Directory
  • Diaspora
  • Top Stories

All rights reserved © 2021 GhanaStar.com

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Music

All rights reserved © 2021 GhanaStar.com