Zimbabwe People First leader Joice Mujuru has called on opposition parties to rally behind her party’s candidate for the Bikita West, Kudakwashe Gopo, in the 21 January by-elections.
Six candidates are contesting the seat which became vacant after the conviction of Munyaradzi Kereke of rape. He was sentenced to 10 years in jail.
The six candidates contesting are Gopo, Beauty Chabaya of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, Madock Chivasa of the National Constitutional Assembly, Terence Makumbo of the Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe, and Heya Shoko and Innocent Muzvimbiri who are both standing as independent candidates.
Mujuru said she supported the idea of a grant coalition but said it should not only quantify votes but should bring people together.
“It should be a process capable of fostering convergence and national healing. A process of such magnitude should be people-driven and guided by the need to build like-minded synergies among various stakeholders,” Mujuru said I her state of the nation address.
“We are of the idea that the process of building the coalition should be an all-inclusive process that is not only limited to political actors but one which would include private citizens, the churches, civic bodies, student movements and any other interested stakeholders genuinely committed to the democratisation of our politics and the holding of free and fair elections.
“We are currently working with other democratic forces in the Bikita West by-election where we fielded a candidate, Kudakwashe Gopo. We urge all democratic forces to rally behind him and vote overwhelming for change on 21 January 2017,” she said.
Mujuru who was Vice-President for 10 years castigated her former boss President Robert Mugabe for taking a holiday to the Far East at this particular time when most people could not access cash to go to their rural homes for Christmas.
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