The clergyman, the Americans and the former VP

RETIRED Angl i - can Bishop Sebastian Bakare allegedly approached sacked Vice- President Joice Mujuru and MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai to explore the possibility of the two opposition characters forming a coalition for 2018, it has emerged.

Information gathered by The Sunday Mail indicates officials at the US Embassy in Harare roped Bishop Bakare into Washington’s longstanding anti-President Mugabe campaign and deployed him to play midwife to the proposed opposition formation.

The Americans handpicked the clergyman to use his “softer social platform” to convince the two sides to amalgamate.

Sources said Dr Mujuru had been undecided about taking the plunge but former War Veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda - also seething following his expulsion from ZANU-PF - pressured the disgraced ex- VP to pronounce her position after getting assurances that Western governments would bankroll her.

Bishop Bakare then engaged her and Mr Tsvangirai separately.

But the MDC-T frontman is still reluctant to have Dr Mujuru lead the “broad opposition”, arguing that he is a bigger “brand”.

It had been proposed, according to sources, that Dr Mujuru head the coalition, with Mr Tsvangirai and a second person, either from a church background or Dr Simba Makoni, deputising.

The hope is Dr Mujuru will bring the liberation war credentials that Mr Tsvangirai lacks, while he maintains the “modern dem-