by Senior Reporter
Sources within the Peoples’ Rainbow Coalition (PRC) say the electoral coalition is on the verge of collapse following its dismal performance during the just-ended harmonised elections.
Of all the candidates that were fielded by the PRC and its constituent parties, all failed to garner even a single seat. The coalition’s presidential candidate, former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru, only managed a paltry 12 878 votes against President Mnangagwa’s 2 460 463 votes.
The PRC is a coalition of parties comprising the National Peoples’ Party (NPP) led by Mujuru, Democratic Assembly for Restoration and Empowerment (DARE) led by Gilbert Dzikiti, Zimbabweans United for Democracy (ZUNDE) led by Farai Mbira and a faction of the People’s Democratic Party led by Lucia Matibenga.
Sources who attended a post mortem meeting that was held at Barham Greens in Bulawayo recently disclosed that emotions ran high as members traded accusations against the coalition’s leadership of Dr Mujuru, accusing her of failing to mobilise funding for the polls. People who attended the meeting took turns to attack Mujuru, Mbira, Dzikiti and Matibenga for failing to provide leadership.
An attendee at the meeting, Dalindyebo Mpofu disclosed that “members expressed their frustration with the coalition’s leadership failure. They failed to avail campaign regalia, even to visit out areas for campaigns they failed. Now they are failing again to provide a way forward in view of the contested elections. They are totally quiet as if they never participated in the elections.”
Impeccable sources further disclosed that the opposition activists resolved that they were free to join either Zanu PF or the MDC Alliance, with the majority of members indicating their likelihood of retracing their footsteps back to Zanu PF.
While no comment could be obtained from any of the PRC principals, Dr Mujuru was recently quoted expressing frustration over her poor showing, saying that the elections results had shown that only Zanu PF and the MDC Alliance were the two competing parties.
Dr Mujuru’s political fortunes have been on free fall since her expulsion from Zanu PF in 2014. She first formed the Zimbabwe People First with the likes of Rugare Gumbo and Diydmus Mutasa before a damaging power struggle led her to pack her bags before forming the National Peoples Party.
It remains to be seen if she will re-join the reformed Zanu PF, now that former President Robert Mugabe is no longer in charge.
