From: wsargeant@igc.apc.org (Winslow L. Sargeant)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: IPS:Zimbabwe, opposition in disarrary as
Date: 28 Jul 92 17:17:37 GMT

/* Written 12:03 am  Jul 28, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "ZIMBABWE: OPPOSITION IN DISARRAY AS" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: ZIMBABWE: OPPOSITION IN DISARRAY AS EFFORTS TO UNITE FLOP


harare, jul 25 (ips/farayi chimbindi) -- an attempt to form
a united opposition front against zimbabwe's president robert
mugabe seems have been smothered in its cradle following a clash
of the key players.

coming in from the cold, former rebel rhodesian prime
minister ian smith, ndabaningi sithole, a co-founder with
president mugabe of the ruling zanu-pf and representatives of
three other opposition parties met in the capital wednesday and
announced they had agreed to form a united front.

''the main opposition political parties resolved to form a
united front dedicated to the task of removing from office the
present government'', sithole told reporters after the meeting.

but sithole's statement was quickly denied by leaders of two
other opposition parties, edgar tekere of the zimbabwe unity
movement (zum) and emmanuel magoche of the democratic party
(dp).

''we are not involved in this alliance, no. my party does
not want to mix with people of dubious character, people like
sithole'', tekere said thursday.

a former zanu-pf maverick, tekere ran for the presidency
in the 1990 general elections and lost to mugabe. his party,
however, won two seats in the 150-member parliament. sithole's
breakaway zanu-ndonga won just one seat in the poll.

the fanfare that greeted sithole when he returned from eight
years of self-imposed exile in the united states early this year
has since subsided.

political observers here believe sithole's collaboration with
smith has dealt a fatal blow to his political ambition.

smith, who declared unilateral independence from britain in
1965, was ousted from power by the black majority in 1980 after
an eight-year bloody war.

the editor of the independent 'sunday times', tendayi
dumbutshena, describes sithole's new alliance with smith as ''a
kiss of death''.

magoche has also denied forming an alliance with smith, whose
name was heard only in connection with the bad old days before
zimbabwe's independence from britain apr. 18, 1980. (more/ips)


zimbabwe: opposition (2)

''we have nothing to do with this new alliance. the
democractic party rejects wholly any association, covert or
overt, with oppressors of the past or the present'', the leader
of the dp told ips.

the dp broke away from zum last year accussing tekere of
erratic and autocratic leadership.

sithole said smith had been responsible for the high standard
of living which rhodesians, black and white, used to enjoy.

''smith is a citizen of this country. what counts are good
ideas,'' sithole said. ''the idea of association with smith
discrediting us is politics of yesterday, not today''.

the late chief jeremiah chirau, muzorewa, sithole and smith
jointly headed the controversial zimbabwe-rhodesia government at
the height of the independence war in the late 1970s.

at a time when zimbabwe is implementing a tough economic
reform programme and facing its worst drought this century,
opposition groups have played on the economic hardship and
accused the ruling party of corruption and economic
mismanagement.

but the opposition remains fragmanted and largely
ineffectual. there are a handful of backbench critics in
parliament where the ruling party retains all but three seats.

the recently-launched forum for democratic reform of
former chief justice enock dumbutshena aims to generate new
opposition leadership rather than rely on well-known but
discredited figures.

zimbabwe's labour movement and university students are also
among the most vocal critics of the government of this southern
african nation of 10.8 million people.

but despite its flagging popularity, zanu-pf remains
confident of meeting any challenge. zanu-pf publicity chief
nathan shamuyarira said as much in dismissing the reported
alliance of opposition parties.

''they have no interest at all in the ordinary people of
this country, in the workers and peasants'', said shamuyarira,
who is also zimbabwe's foreign minister.

shamuyarira described the reported alliance as ''a bunch
of disguntled nationalists, racists and renegades with nothing
new to offer to zimbabweans''. (end/ips/fc/apc/oa/92)


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