News / National
'I will not re-join Zanu-PF,' says Simba Makoni
08 May 2014 at 11:42hrs | Views
Former Zanu-PF politburo member and then Finance minister Simba Makoni has declared he does not "yearn" to re-join the former liberation movement.
Makoni who now fronts the political outfit Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn told journalists at the monthly Conversations with Simba Makoni briefing in Harare that Zanu-PF and its leader, President Robert Mugabe had no much role to play in the creation of a working Zimbabwe.
"I have no yearning to go back to Zanu-PF, am not working towards that and have not been approached to go back to the party," Makoni said emphatically.
"I do not think Zanu-PF can contribute meaningfully to a future Zimbabwe. Zanu-PF as an entity, just like its leader (Mugabe), has no capacity to create a Zimbabwe that can begin to work again, but there are people in Zanu-PF and there are many who have the capacity, competency and the will to contribute meaningfully and I have lots of respect for those people, I talk to them and they talk to me".
Makoni left Zanu-PF on the eve of the 2008 elections to campaign for presidency but fared dismally. There were reports at the time that Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn was a project of some disgruntled Zanu-PF bigwigs, among them, the late military supremo Solomon Mujuru, who were set to join the ex-treasury chief at some point in time.
Makoni was once again at pains to dispel the rumour over "bigwigs" who were set to join him.
"I never suggested that there were big-wigs in Zanu-PF who were going to follow me out of the party. However, I can continue to repeat that there are many in Zanu-PF and other parties who agree with my thinking.
"There are people in Zanu-PF who are yearning for change. Many of them are caught up in fear and may not admit it in a public platform like this one. And I see a lot of them as part of a broad alliance, the big tent or the United Democratic Front, or whatever terminology you would want to use. Yes, I see a role for them," said Makoni.
He said the biggest role Mugabe could play in the creation of a future Zimbabwe was to "unshackle his comrades".
"Mugabe does not have much of a role in the shaping of a future Zimbabwe. Problems are not solved by the same minds that created them. I have great respect for Mugabe as a father, I have a lot of issues about what he is doing to our country, but the creation of the future of Zimbabwe, that we all yearn for, is beyond him, not just because of the fact that he is 90 years-old, but because of his mindset that is not able to look into the future.
"He would though, have a role to play in facilitating; he should free his comrades to act on their convictions. He should unshackle his comrades in the politburo and in the central committee so that they can live that what they believe in and that would be a great contribution," to the country Makoni said.
Makoni who now fronts the political outfit Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn told journalists at the monthly Conversations with Simba Makoni briefing in Harare that Zanu-PF and its leader, President Robert Mugabe had no much role to play in the creation of a working Zimbabwe.
"I have no yearning to go back to Zanu-PF, am not working towards that and have not been approached to go back to the party," Makoni said emphatically.
"I do not think Zanu-PF can contribute meaningfully to a future Zimbabwe. Zanu-PF as an entity, just like its leader (Mugabe), has no capacity to create a Zimbabwe that can begin to work again, but there are people in Zanu-PF and there are many who have the capacity, competency and the will to contribute meaningfully and I have lots of respect for those people, I talk to them and they talk to me".
Makoni left Zanu-PF on the eve of the 2008 elections to campaign for presidency but fared dismally. There were reports at the time that Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn was a project of some disgruntled Zanu-PF bigwigs, among them, the late military supremo Solomon Mujuru, who were set to join the ex-treasury chief at some point in time.
"I never suggested that there were big-wigs in Zanu-PF who were going to follow me out of the party. However, I can continue to repeat that there are many in Zanu-PF and other parties who agree with my thinking.
"There are people in Zanu-PF who are yearning for change. Many of them are caught up in fear and may not admit it in a public platform like this one. And I see a lot of them as part of a broad alliance, the big tent or the United Democratic Front, or whatever terminology you would want to use. Yes, I see a role for them," said Makoni.
He said the biggest role Mugabe could play in the creation of a future Zimbabwe was to "unshackle his comrades".
"Mugabe does not have much of a role in the shaping of a future Zimbabwe. Problems are not solved by the same minds that created them. I have great respect for Mugabe as a father, I have a lot of issues about what he is doing to our country, but the creation of the future of Zimbabwe, that we all yearn for, is beyond him, not just because of the fact that he is 90 years-old, but because of his mindset that is not able to look into the future.
"He would though, have a role to play in facilitating; he should free his comrades to act on their convictions. He should unshackle his comrades in the politburo and in the central committee so that they can live that what they believe in and that would be a great contribution," to the country Makoni said.
Source - Zim Mail
