MDC, civic groups plot united front to confront Mugabe

n the main faction of the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai and which has threatened to call mass protests to force President Robert Mugabe to accept sweeping political reforms said the opposition party would use the July 29 convention to persuade civic society to back the proposed Ukraine-style civil revolt.
“We are obviously going to take advantage of that convention to table our roadmap (for political reforms) for endorsement from our civic partners …. all democratic forces must come together to force Mugabe to play ball,” said an executive member of the MDC, who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the Press.
Under the MDC roadmap, Mugabe must either give up power to a transitional government that will be tasked to write a new constitution and organise fresh elections under international supervision or face popular revolt.
Mugabe, who has in the past deployed armed soldiers and police on the streets to thwart dissent, has rejected the opposition roadmap and warned Tsvangirai and his party that mass anti-government protests would be a”dice with death”.
The MDC however appears undeterred by Mugabe’s threats and the planned meeting with organised civic society will be a follow up to several rallies held by Tsvangirai across the country to mobilise ordinary citizens for protests against the government.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC), an alliance of more than 50 civic society groups in the country, on Thursday said the planned convention would hammer out ways to resolve Zimbabwe’s crisis described by the World Bank last year as the worst in the world outside a war zone.
“The nation is bleeding and all forces have to come together to find a common solution,” said CZC co-ordinator Jacob Mafume. – ZimOnline