Former Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has hinted that he may consider returning to active politics after the elections. Mutambara previously served as Deputy Prime Minister between 2009-13 representing the MDC-M during the Government of National Unity.
He made the remarks during an interview with Alpha Media Holdings’ digital radio and television station, Heart & Soul TV (HSTV) about Zimbabwe’s current political climate. He said:
If they (ZANU PF government) continue failing, I might have to reconsider my retirement but for now I am teaching. I am a professor and director at the University of the Future of Knowledge, but I keep my options open.
Mutambara expressed his concerns about the upcoming election, citing issues with the voters’ roll and the unfair advantage that the ruling party has over the opposition. He said:
It’s a tragedy because I don’t see anything positive coming out of this election because already there is the story around the voters’ roll, where people go and can’t find their names. The voters’ roll is not available to the opposition. The political opposition is being harassed. Job Sikhala (CCC MP for Zengeza West) and (Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob) Ngarivhume are locked up as we speak.
What kind of election can we have when your opponents are locked up and cannot have political rallies?
He also described ZANU PF leader and presidential candidate President Emmerson Mnangagwa as an average and incompetent leader who is quick to use force due to his insecurity and doubts about his own legitimacy. Mutambara also criticized Mnangagwa’s government for being corrupt and incompetent. He said:
Mnangagwa is a crude version of the late Robert Mugabe on corruption, on tribalism.
On incompetence, he is worse because he has no finesse. Mugabe had an element of finesse around him, but this one is very crude in terms of naked corruption and naked incompetence.
These guys are insecure, very insecure, very incompetent and they are very quick to use force because they doubt their legitimacy, yet Mugabe had a veneer of legitimacy as the founding father of the nation, who brought independence and carried out the land reform programme.
Mutambara expressed respect for his colleagues in the opposition, particularly Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa. He said:
I have a lot of respect for my colleagues in the CCC. I have a lot of respect for president Chamisa. He is doing a great job.
I try as much as I can to advise quietly, but they are doing a good job and they deserve our support. They could fix one or two things here and there but I communicate privately and tell them what I think can been done.
In the 2018 presidential election, Emmerson Mnangagwa emerged as the winner by a narrow margin. However, the opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, contested the results, alleging that Mnangagwa received assistance from the courts and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission in securing his victory.
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