Makoni guns for Mugabe

Makoni guns for Mugabe

AFTER YOUR JOB: Makoni talks to reporters at a hotel in Harare on Tuesday, February 5

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By Lebo Nkatazo

ZIMBABWE’S former Finance Minister Simba Makoni will challenge President Robert Mugabe in Presidential elections due on March 29.

Kicked out of government by Mugabe after recommending the devaluation of the currency, Makoni expects to draw cross-party support for his candidacy.

He said: “Let me affirm here, my faith in and loyalty to the party (Zanu PF). I would very much have wished to stand as its official candidate. Unfortunately, as we all know, that opportunity was denied to any other cadre who would have offered themselves to serve the party and country.

“Let me also affirm here my deeper faith in, and higher loyalty to the whole nation of Zimbabwe, which deeper faith and higher loyalty have moved me to offer myself to this once great country and still great people.”

Makoni said he would within the next week work on the modalities of his presidential challenge.

He added: “I know that I am not alone in this. There would be many of us. There is a great number of us.”

He said when he met Mugabe two weeks ago, he had told him that reports of him launching a party were speculation, “as it was then”.

Makoni, who was flanked by retired army major Kudzai Mbudzi and former newspaper publisher Ibbo Mandaza, urged people to register to vote.

Officials from the opposition MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara, notably spokesperson Gabriel Chaibva, also attended the press briefing.
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