Daily News
By Jeffrey Muvundisi
6 July 2013
BULAWAYO – The MDC formation led by Welshman Ncube and Dumiso Dabengwa’s revived Zapu Friday forged a double-headed alliance to enhance chances of regional representation as the country hurtles towards watershed elections on July 31.
The partnership emerged soon after MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai forged an alliance with Mavambo /Dawn/ Kusile leader Simba Makoni and Zanu Ndonga leader Reketai Sengwayo in a bid to remove President Robert Mugabe from power.
Dabengwa hailed the alliance as a historic event for the region and Zimbabwe.
“We met to discuss the efforts we have been making to come together in order to forge some sort of alliance particularly towards the elections,†Dabengwa said.
The talks between Zapu and MDC started last December although they could not be finalised owing to Ncube’s busy schedule.
As part of the new arrangement, Ncube and Dabengwa will remain in charge of the alliance and various committees that are selected in terms of the constitution of the two parties.
“We are still separate parties but we are working towards coming together in full at some point in the future,†Ncube said.
Ncube pledged to work together with Dabengwa regardless of the election outcome.
“In those areas we have both fielded candidates, we have agreed that we will compete against each other peacefully as a model of what Zimbabwe should be and have peaceful co-existence,†Ncube said.
He said the parties had pledged to continue engaging each other at all contested levels with the view of minimising the number of MDC and Zapu candidates who are going to face each other in the election.
In a show of solidarity, Zapu Bulawayo East parliamentary candidate Rodger Muhlwa agreed to step down in support of MDC’s David Coltart.