'It's a good thing Mugabe is calling for peace' says Dabengwa

ZAPU president, Dr Dumiso Dabengwa, said his party would like to believe that the Mugabe's call for peace is genuine and real.

In an interview at the memorial service for Mrs Charlotte Msipa, the wife of former Midlands Governor and dean of Governors, Dr Cephas Msipa, in Gweru on Saturday, Dr Dabengwa said it was a noble thing for the president to advocate peace as the country heads for elections.

Dr Dabengwa said the President's call for zero tolerance to violence was genuine.

"We would want to believe that the President's call for peace is genuine and real.

"It is a good thing that the President himself is calling for peace ahead of the elections.

"What it then means is that whoever incites or perpetrates violence before, during or after elections would be brought to book.

"Whoever defies the President would face the consequences. Violence should not be tolerated at all," he said.

Dr Dabengwa also said his party had no intentions of splitting Zanu-PF by fishing out former (PF) Zapu members as a way of strengthening itself ahead of the polls.

"We won't be fishing out former (PF) Zapu members from Zanu-PF. That is not part of our strategies for the coming elections," he said.

Dr Dabengwa said his party was undecided on fielding a presidential candidate.

"We are in the process of nominating a presidential candidate. However, we are still to decide on whether we should field one in the forthcoming elections.

"We will come up with a decision by end of next week," he said.

Dr Dabengwa said his party was comfortable with any date set for the elections for as long as the country is ready to conduct elections.

He, however, said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission must come up with a new voter's role to ensure the ground is level for the elections.

"We are ready for elections even if we say let us have them tomorrow for as long as the country is ready. However, we have heard a lot of complaints about the ongoing voter registration process.

"We would want Zec to come up with a new voters roll so that we have free and fair elections," he said.

Dr Dabengwa described the late Mrs Msipa as a strong woman who stood by and supported her husband during the liberation struggle.

"I first met her when she visited Dr Msipa when we were in prison during the liberation struggle. She would visit her husband almost every week. She was a strong woman who was supportive of her husband," he said.