News / National
Bhasikiti challenges Mutasa to come clean on Mugabe meeting
22 Jul 2017 at 10:37hrs | Views
ZIMBABWE People First (ZimPF) secretary-general and spokesperson Kudakwashe Bhasikiti has slammed party elder Didymus Mutasa for making overtures to meet President Robert Mugabe.
Bhasikiti challenged Mugabe to publicly invalidate the claims.
The remarks come after Mutasa, who is reported to have hit hard times, was quoted in the media saying he wanted to meet Mugabe.
Mutasa's desire to meet Mugabe was immediately interpreted to mean that he wanted to rejoin Zanu-PF and was immediately challenged by presidential spokesperson George Charamba to come open on his request to meet Mugabe.
But Bhasikiti yesterday said ZimPF condemned such moves from its former party elder.
"Zimbabwe People First strongly condemns any attempts to engage Robert Mugabe or curry favour with him," Bhasikiti said.
"While Mr Mutasa is no longer part of the ZimPF team, we urge him to publicly rebut claims that he is making overtures to engage Mugabe and practically demonstrate that he will not do so at any time.
"Mr Mutasa must demonstrate that he is principled and consistent. He gave the electorate and the opposition a lot of hope when he stood up against Mugabe, leaving Zanu-PF and joining the progressive forces seeking to rebuild Zimbabwe."
Bhasikiti added: "It would therefore be brazen unstatesmanship for him to be forced by his reported dip in fortunes to return to a party that he had decided to leave and challenge.
"If it is true that Mutasa is indeed planning to return to Zanu-PF and seek refuge in Mugabe's system of ruthless patronage, we urge him to think twice. Millions of Zimbabweans are poor and struggle to make ends meet, but we can't expect them to troop to Zanu-PF and ask for crumbs."
Mutasa was dismissed from Zanu-PF in 2014 charged with joining forces with then Vice-President Joice Mujuru to try and unseat President Mugabe and take charge of the ruling party.
He went on to form the ZimPF with Mujuru, in which he held an unspecified role as an elder, but the two went on to split, with the latter forming the National People's Party.
Mutasa again had a fallout with the remaining ZimPF members over the appointment of Agrippa Mutambara as interim leader of the party.
Bhasikiti challenged Mugabe to publicly invalidate the claims.
The remarks come after Mutasa, who is reported to have hit hard times, was quoted in the media saying he wanted to meet Mugabe.
Mutasa's desire to meet Mugabe was immediately interpreted to mean that he wanted to rejoin Zanu-PF and was immediately challenged by presidential spokesperson George Charamba to come open on his request to meet Mugabe.
But Bhasikiti yesterday said ZimPF condemned such moves from its former party elder.
"Zimbabwe People First strongly condemns any attempts to engage Robert Mugabe or curry favour with him," Bhasikiti said.
"While Mr Mutasa is no longer part of the ZimPF team, we urge him to publicly rebut claims that he is making overtures to engage Mugabe and practically demonstrate that he will not do so at any time.
"Mr Mutasa must demonstrate that he is principled and consistent. He gave the electorate and the opposition a lot of hope when he stood up against Mugabe, leaving Zanu-PF and joining the progressive forces seeking to rebuild Zimbabwe."
Bhasikiti added: "It would therefore be brazen unstatesmanship for him to be forced by his reported dip in fortunes to return to a party that he had decided to leave and challenge.
"If it is true that Mutasa is indeed planning to return to Zanu-PF and seek refuge in Mugabe's system of ruthless patronage, we urge him to think twice. Millions of Zimbabweans are poor and struggle to make ends meet, but we can't expect them to troop to Zanu-PF and ask for crumbs."
Mutasa was dismissed from Zanu-PF in 2014 charged with joining forces with then Vice-President Joice Mujuru to try and unseat President Mugabe and take charge of the ruling party.
He went on to form the ZimPF with Mujuru, in which he held an unspecified role as an elder, but the two went on to split, with the latter forming the National People's Party.
Mutasa again had a fallout with the remaining ZimPF members over the appointment of Agrippa Mutambara as interim leader of the party.
Source - newsday
