Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa Declines Forming Coalition Government

Zimbabwe's interim president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has declined the opportunity to form a coalition government prior to presidential elections this year after meeting with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Reuters reports.

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"Currently there is no need," Mnangagwa said in reference to the possibility of aligning his ruling party ZANU-PF with Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

A national unity government was formed by the two parties from 2008 until 2013. Now, Tsvangirai is expected to be Mnangagwa's top challenger in this year's presidential race.

The MDC leader has been receiving treatment for colon cancer since 2016. "He is fine, he is recuperating very well and says he will soon again be having a medical check-up in South Africa," Mnangagwa told Reuters after visiting Tsvangirai at his home.

Mnangagwa assumed the presidency after independence leader and former head of state Robert Mugabe resigned from office amid a military operation code-named "Operation Restore Legacy."

The military move, according to Zimbabwe's new president, was aimed at preserving the ethos of the country's "struggle against British colonialism," which was achieved by "Mugabe's immense contribution," along with that of his former wife Sally Hayfron Mugabe, Joshua Nkomo and Josiah Tongogara in the Chimurenga revolution.

Mnangagwa has called for polls to be held as early as March and is under pressure to implement political reforms by opposition parties and would-be foreign investors.

However, Zimbabwe's new head of state has yet to receive word from the United States or the European Union about the lifting of sanctions imposed on the country in 2001 and 2002, respectively, following the ambitious land-reform program led by the war veterans. The measures led to a major trade deficit and adversely affected the country's healthcare system.