Former
Zanu PF bigwig, Temba Mliswa, has predicted that opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai will “once again win the 2018 elections” — even if he does not reach
an electoral pact with former Vice President Joice Mujuru.
He is set
to hold rallies at Kotwa Growth Point in Mudzi (Mutoko), Zaire Business Centre
in Wedza, and Sadza Growth Point in Chikomba District, before proceeding to
Chambara Business Centre in Chivhu.
On his
part, former Zanu PF chairperson for Mashonaland West, Mliswa, told the Daily
News that Tsvangirai was currently having it his way in areas that were
hitherto seen as Mugabe’s fortresses because war veterans who used to back the
nonagenarian were angry that they had been badly let down by him.
“The only
people who could stop Tsvangirai are war veterans and all indications are that
Tsvangirai will win the elections again in 2018 without the need for a
coalition with Mujuru’s People First,” Mliswa said.
He added
that without war veterans campaigning for Mugabe, Zanu PF had no capacity to do
so “and that will translate to a peaceful election, as the margin of terror
that the ruling party has been depending on will disappear”.
The
former Hurungwe West legislator also said the former freedom fighters’
political allegiance was now shared among Mujuru, Mnangagwa and the G40 camp —
a situation which he said made it difficult for them to be a factor in the 2018
elections.
Mliswa
said the other factor that would most likely work in Tsvangirai’s favour was
the fact that Mujuru and her allies had “a tainted past and will have
difficulty in convincing the electorate that they have repented”.
“If they
had resigned like what Nkosana Moyo and Nathan Shamuyarira did, they would have
no problems getting people behind them. Worse still for them, people out there
still sympathise with Tsvangirai that he was not given the chance to take power
when he won elections in 2008,” he said.
Since
Zanu PF controversially retained power in 2013, the country has been on a
downward spiral, with the economy bleeding hundreds of thousands of
badly-needed jobs and social service delivery hitting an all-time low.