Govt dismisses opposition coalition

Herald Reporter
ZANU-PF’s emphatic victory in harmonised elections last year left all opposition parties or groups and their individual leaders disorganised and irretrievably weakened, hence people should not buy into attempts by failed opposition leaders to form a front against Zanu-PF as “weak plus weak translates to double weak”.

In a statement last night; Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo; urged Zimbabweans to ignore the opposition charade which is designed to divert people’s attention from progressive Government programmes like Zim-Asset.

The minister’s comments came in the wake of MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s flaunting of former party members Messrs Job Sikhala, Joubert Mudzumwe, Edward Mkhosi and Siyabonga Malandu as MDC-T assets.

Some sections of the media have been touting the return of the quartet as the panacea to problems bedevilling the MDC-T where top officials have been publicly assaulted at Harvest House, the party’s headquarters for calling for Mr Tsvangirai’s resignation.

“In other words, no opposition party or leader emerged from the 2013 harmonised general election strengthened or politically stronger,” said Prof Moyo.

“Each and all of them without exception were weakened to their core. This is why they are now all in disarray and divided into factions of one sort or another.

“As a result, the weakened factions and individuals within and across opposition ranks are now hopelessly trying in vain to find each other by seeking to join forces in situations that are manifestly desperate,” he said.

‘’Although apparently making news headlines in some sections of the media, the attempts by the various opposition factions and individuals to join forces are hopeless and doomed because when you add a week political faction or individual with another weak faction or individual you do not get a strong result. Weak plus weak equals double weak!

‘’ This is why minus one plus minus one equals minus two. As such, weak opposition faction plus another weak opposition faction or individual necessarily yields a weaker outcome. The truth is that there’s just no strength in combined weaknesses.

‘’This explains why Zimbabweans whose concern is to have their livelihood needs addressed through policy implementation under Zim Asset have no reason to place their hope in failed yesteryear politics of organising weaknesses under the guise of pursuing politics. No wonder that the public is not paying attention to the circus that is going on around Morgan Tsvangirai and his lot whose discourse is self-indulgent and thus bereft of public policy interest.

‘’ The only relevant policy discourse with current and future benefits for everyone is the ongoing fight against corruption led by President Mugabe to ensure the success of Zim Asset in the interest of all Zimbabweans,’’ he said.

Prof Moyo accused the opposition parties of attempting to bring back the “divisive politics of yesteryears”
‘’As Government efforts to improve the welfare and living conditions of Zimbabweans gain momentum under the intensified implementation of Zim Asset in light of an impending bumper harvest, thanks to the significant Government financial support for cropping and livestock this season, it is unfortunate that there are some ill-fated attempts to dispirit the public by seeking to draw its attention to the circus that is currently taking place in opposition parties in the vain hope that the divisive politics of yesteryears will once again return to take precedence over policy implementation issues that are designed to turnaround the economy under Zim Asset.

‘’While this is an obvious downside of the current political environment in the country, the upside is that Zanu PF’s emphatic victory in the last harmonised general election has made it unavoidable for Government to be fully seized with service delivery issues through Zim Asset without being distracted or drawn into the current circus of opposition politics. The public understands this and that is why hardly anyone is paying attention to the circus,’’ Prof Moyo said.