NPP youths mock Mujuru coalition partners

OPPOSITION National People's Party (NPP) youths have called on their leader Joice Mujuru (pictured) to swallow her pride and dump the People's Rainbow Coalition (PRC) where she is presidential candidate and join the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC Alliance, to increase their chances of dislodging President Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF in next year's elections.

Using their official NPP National Youth WhatsApp group, the youths mocked Mujuru's allies in PRC, particularly Democratic Assembly for Restoration and Empowerment (Dare) leader Gilbert Dzikiti, describing his party as a one-man band.

Mujuru's PRC partners are People's Democratic Party splinter group led by Lucia Matibenga, Zimbabweans United for Democracy Party led by Farai Mbira and Dzikiti's Dare.

NPP national youth chairperson Lloyd Masiya, in chats leaked to NewsDay, called on Mujuru to dump the PRC saying the coalition was too weak to shake Zanu-PF's stranglehold on power.

"We need to put masses first. PRC must foster a coalition with MDC Alliance if we are serious about removing Mugabe and Zanu-PF," Masiya said.

This was after his secretary for education, Enock Mapanje, had mocked Dzikiti saying his party was a one man-band with no grassroots structures.

"Having a coalition with Winky D or Jah Prayzah is better than Zunde or Dare because the artistes have followers. Even Zanu-PF is more afraid of the artistes than Dzikiti and company," he said, getting support from other members of the group.

Another NPP youth member called on Mujuru to stop listening to her adviser and secretary-general Gift Nyandoro and instead seek to reconnect with the grassroot structures.

"Madam president should come down to provincial executive committees and ask what's going on, not to ask these so-called (sic) whosoever who are pushing their own agenda on the experience of others especially us youth," another youth added.

Contacted for comment over the leaked WhatsApp chats, party spokesperson Jeffryson Chitando said while he was not aware of the discussions going on among the youth, NPP was ready to join hands with any progressive person who wants to see Mugabe's back.

"Even if (Vice-President Emmerson) Mnangagwa is fired from Zanu-PF and wants to join us, we are open, that is the position of the party. We don't want to walk alone," he said.