Msipa 'weeps' over VP post

Cephas Msipa says he is disappointed that some former PF Zapu members had reneged on their earlier unanimous decision to second Simon Khaya Moyo to the position of second Vice President of the party.

Former PF Zapu and Ex-Zipra member Phelekezela Mphoko recently thrashed a deal by former PF Zapu members to back Zanu PF Chairman Simon Khaya Moyo for the post, saying there was no one more senior than him in the race for the post.

But Msipa, who recused himself from contesting the coveted post, is pessimist the jockeying for the post and failure by former Zapu members to come up with one candidate will jeopardize their chances of landing the post.  

"There's so much happening now that I just didn't know what I could do. Firstly, I had met former PF Zapu people in Gweru and we discussed this issue. We've met to agree on whom we should recommend as Vice President and we were unanimous that it should be SK Moyo," said Msipa.

"I didn't influence anyone, they just said it on their own, all those people some from the Politburo and others from the Central Committee of the former PF Zapu and were all unanimous and in fact some of the people who're now expressing interest in the position are the same people who had called for the meeting in Gweru.

So for me it's a waste of time to continue mediating in an issue where people cannot stick to their agreement. I felt that there was no use in mediating as that could be misconstrued as if I was trying to influence people to support a certain individual," he added.

He said in the past, the election of a second Vice President from PF Zapu was not contentious. Msipa said in the case of the late Joseph Msika, he was an automatic choice given his stature as the most senior person after Dr Joshua Nkomo.

However, it was a different scenario with John Nkomo who had to fight it out with Naison Ndlovu.

Despite reports that Moyo was a shoe in for the top post, Mphoko, Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi and Senator Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu have all expressed interest in succeeding the late Vice-President John Nkomo in deputising long-time ruler President Robert Mugabe.