Tsvangirai Says he Remains Open to an Election Pact With NcubeGWERU — With just ten days to go to the elections, MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai says he is still open to the idea of an alliance with his erstwhile colleague and the MDC’s founding secretary general, Welshman Ncube, who now leads a smaller formation of the MDC. Addressing thousands of supporters in Gweru’s Mkoba Stadium Sunday, Tsvangirai said it was imperative that ‘progressive forces’ united to remove President Robert Mugabe from office. Despite Ncube’s declaration that he would not enter into an election alliance with Tsvangirai, the MDC founding president said if the former MDC secretary general is serious about addressing challenges facing Zimbabweans today, he should be willing to join him and others in a coalition to avoid splitting the vote in favour of Mugabe’s Zanu PF come July 31. Tsvangirai spoke as he completed his so-called six-day presidential victory rallies in the southern region of Zimbabwe where he pledged that an MDC government would ensure that all collapsed industries are resuscitated. “All the industries that have collapsed due to Zanu PF’s mismanagement and corruption will be reopened by the next MDC government as we have policies in place that will create conditions that are conducive to encourage investor confidence and job creation,” said Tsvangirai. He said the MDC would create an industrial fund to assist distressed companies and in the process help in creating jobs for the people of Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai challenged President Mugabe and other presidential aspirants in the 2013 election to a national debate telling his supporters that such debates – which are common in most democracies during election time - provide voters with an opportunity to hear what the aspirants have to offer the electorate, helping them make informed choices. Tsvangirai said there won’t be any retribution against alleged perpetrators of violence during the Gukurahundi era despite calls from some of his supporters for alleged abusers to be brought to book. Instead, he said, his government would put in place a truth and reconciliation commission to look into the alleged atrocities and ensure victims are adequately compensated. After the Gweru rally, Tsvangirai, who was accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth, and other senior party officials, including his deputy Thokozani Khupe, and Mavambo Kusile Dawn leader Simba Makoni addressed another meeting in the neighboring town of Kwekwe. On Tuesday, Tsvangirai resumes his campaign in Mashonaland East province, where he will be at Kotwa, Mutoko and Murewa before continuing on Wednesday in Zaire, Wedza and Mahusekwa all in the same province. On his part Mugabe will be in Manicaland on Tuesday, Masvingo on Thursday, Saturday in Bulawayo and Sunday in Harare.