Killer Zivhu, a former Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) legislator for Chivi South has said a “2023 Government of National Unity (GNU is on the cards.”
Zivhu suggested that the vanquished G40, a ZANU PF faction reportedly led by former first lady Grace Mugabe, and some former cabinet ministers including Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo and Patrick Zhuwao, is coming back, possibly to overthrow the current ZANU PF leadership. He posted on Twitter:
2023 GNU on cards, some people are working behind the scenes, MDC-T, MDC-A, ava havapo pa line up (MDC-T, MDC-A won’t be included in the GNU), G40 guys are coming back. European countries are backing the idea, 10 billion USD to be injected in our economy. Pane vari kubatwa kumeso (there are some who are being deceived), soon they will get a surprise.
Some observers said a GNU can only work if Nelson Chamisa, leader of the newly-formed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) is the president of that government. Said one commentator:
CCC will have the presidency first kana zvisizvo ngazvigare (besides that, there is no deal) who cares about it anyway what’s key is @nelsonchamisa is president GNU performance will be key around who is president that’s the measure and guarantee of its success.
The possibility of having another GNU started following the ouster of former President, the late Robert Mugabe in 2017.
ZANU PF later ruled out that set-up and instead called for elections in 2018.
Opposition MDC Alliance then led by Nelson Chamisa rejected the outcome of the presidential election claiming that ZANU PF had connived with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and manipulated results in favour of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The political crisis that ensued prompted some to argue that a GNU could be the best way forward, however, both ZANU PF and MDC Alliance refused to have a powersharing deal with each side saying it had won the election, therefore, should lead.
A previous GNU was formed in 2009 between ZANU PF and two MDC formations (MDC-T and MDC-N) and lasted till 2013 when ZANU PF won the elections.
The economy stabilised during that era, owing to a number of factors including the adoption of a multicurrency system shortly before the GNU and cash flow through donations from the international community.