'ZimPF squabbles vindicate Mujuru'

OPPOSITION National People's Party (NPP) leader Joice Mujuru said she felt vindicated by the political problems bedevilling her erstwhile colleagues at the Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF).

Mujuru's spokesperson and NPP secretary-general designate, Gift Nyandoro, said the former Vice-President would "forgive" her ex-colleagues if they "repent".

"The problems engulfing the grouping of our former colleagues who purport to be ZimPF, which party has since been rebranded to the NPP by our leader Joice Mujuru, surely vindicates her and the actions she took to fire these characters.

"It shows that she was correct in indicating that [Rugare] Gumbo and [Didymus] Mutasa lack the political compass to fulfil the democratic struggle ideals. The internal strife they are facing now demonstrates that there is no ZimPF to talk about," Nyandoro said yesterday.

Two months ago, Mujuru, then leader of ZimPF, claimed to have fired Mutasa and Gumbo after a public spat, but the latter shot back and "deposed her", resulting in the emergence of the NPP.

Nyandoro said Mujuru was ready to welcome Mutasa and Gumbo to NPP.

"For the record, Mujuru is a national leader, a mother with a forgiving heart. She is not interested in the politics of personalities and as long as any of our former colleagues are willing to repent and appreciate that at the core of the struggle to liberate Zimbabwe

from tyranny is unity, then they are welcome to join us at the NPP as ordinary card-carrying members," he said.

But Mutasa scoffed at the suggestion that he and Gumbo might seek political reconciliation with Mujuru, adding her recent signing of a pre-election pact with MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai was a charade.

"Mujuru must be satisfied with the fact that she was accepted by Tsvangirai and if anything that so-called coalition will fall apart soon. It is not what we expected and had agreed on and you can see this by the divisions involving Thokozani Khupe (Tsvangirai's deputy).

"But we are principled leaders and will not change. We will never shift and follow Mujuru again. We had worked hard at the National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) to create the platform for a united opposition, but it has since been hijacked and nothing will come out of it. This is not what we anticipated and had agreed," Mutasa said.

ZimPF was thrown into turmoil last week after a group fronted by former Masvingo provincial Affairs minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti prematurely appointed retired soldier Agrippa Mutambara as interim leader.

Bhasikiti yesterday maintained the decision stood.

"We have been consulting and all agree that Mutambara must lead us until congress. I have talked to Mutasa and Gumbo, we are on the same page," he said.

Gumbo, however, poured cold water on the claims.

"I am not sure what is wrong with Bhasikiti. He is driven by ambition, which is not wrong, but we will not allow him to confuse our structures. Mutasa and I are still in charge and Mutambara can be a candidate at congress like all the others. We will not allow anyone to be imposed on the party," Gumbo said.

Mutasa echoed Gumbo's sentiments: "The young man causes trouble everywhere he goes. He was the source of our problems when we broke up with Mujuru and needs political education."