'I support Mujuru,' says Mutasa

Zanu-PF secretary for administration and Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa, Sunday said he supports Vice-President Joice Mujuru as one of the party leaders and not a leader of any faction as is being alleged.

In an interview on the sidelines of a Zanu-PF Matabeleland North Youth  League inter-district meeting at the Lupane Community Hall where he was guest of honour, Mutasa said factionalism had no room in the ruling party.

"If there are factions and someone says he/she belongs to Mai Mujuru faction then he/she does not belong to Zanu-PF," he said.  

"A faction is a group of people working with a different agenda. Mai Mujuru is a leader of Zanu-PF.  I support her because she is the Vice–President of Zanu-PF and if someone was Vice-President I would support them in the same way (sic)."

Mutasa is believed to be strongly linked to the Mujuru faction which is said to be fighting a rival group headed by Justice minister and Zanu-PF secretary for legal affairs Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Both Mujuru and Mnangagwa deny existence of the factions.

Mutasa also denied that he was eyeing  to be the party's chairperson.

There  have been reports that Mutasa wants to take over as chairperson of the party if Simon Khaya Moyo who holds the position is elevated to Vice-President to fill the position which became vacant following the death of John Nkomo last year.

"I have never said at any moment I want to be national chairperson (of Zanu-PF)," he said.  

"I only said the post is open.  It is not tied to any group-PF Zapu or Zanu-PF.  It is free at the moment in terms of the unity agreement."

Asked if he would take up the national chairmanship if given a chance Mutasa responded: "If given a chance, I will do what the party decides I should do as was the case when it decided that I should be secretary for administration."

Addressing the gathering earlier, Mutasa took a dig at MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai saying he had failed as an opposition leader.

"Tsvangirai has failed because of women. MDC is now a movement for changing women.  It won't survive for long," said Mutasa.

Sunday's meeting was attended by Youth,  Indigenisation and Employment Creation minister Francis Nhema and the secretary for  youth affairs, Absalom Sikhosana among other Zanu-PF officials.