Embattled VP Mujuru to form new political party

BERLIN- Embattled Vice President Joice Mujuru, is reportedly set to form a new political party before or after Zanu PF's hyped elective congress next month, where she is largely expected to be fired as VP and become an ordinary card-carrying member, The Telescope News reported.

Information at hand provided by a reliable party politburo member, who has survived President Robert Mugabe's recent Stalin-like purges of Mujuru's backers in the troubled party, as has befallen former spokesman and top VP faction ally, Rugare Gumbo, said there is an alleged elaborate plan by Mujuru to rekindle and re-introduce a new democratic Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) party, first founded in August 1963.



Late nationalists Ndabaningi Sithole, Henry Hamadziripi, Mukudzei Midzi, Herbert Chitepo, Edgar Tekere, Leopold Takawira and Enos Nkala are the original founder members of ZANU, which was formed at Nkala's Highfields home in the capital.

The new party, the politburo member said will be made official "very soon" and is also built on the ethos of the country's founding war commanders and military veterans such as, Mujuru's late husband, General Solomon Mujuru, who died in a suspicious fire believed to be a political murder in 2011; Chitepo, who was assassinated in March 1975 by an unidentified murderer; and the popular Josiah Tongogara, killed in a car accident in Mozambique on 26 December 1979, just six days after the Lancaster House Agreement was signed.

Chitepo, Tongogara, and Mujuru were all army commanders of the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA). The new party shall recognise contributions made by the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) cadres too, in fighting for the country's liberation struggle against colonialism, The Telescope News, has been told.

Mujuru caused a political earthquake in December 2004, at a contentious party conference, where she was elevated to the post of vice president, ahead of justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, who seemed to have bagged the influential position, only for Mugabe to come under pressure from General Mujuru, to overturn Mnangagwa's fortunes by appointing his wife, on the eleventh hour using a gender agenda calling for a women's quota representation in the presidium.

Now ten years down the line, the tables have turned against her, with First Lady, Grace Mugabe, spearheading a campaign for her immediate resignation as VP. Yesterday Grace once again came out with her guns blazing, saying Mugabe deputy's tenure as vice president has been "a waste of time" on top of damning State media charges, that she plans to assassinate Mugabe, allegations she has vehemently refuted.

"The finances to launch democratic ZANU are already there, and have long been mobilised, since we anticipate the Mnangagwa camp will take advantage of being the legal experts of the party, to apportion themselves most of the assets, including the headquarters building," said the politburo official.

"The reason why Patriotic Front is being dropped, is because former Zapu cadres are unlikely to quickly breakaway from Zanu PF, although a good number of them would like to join us but fear vindictive action against them."

Mujuru's faction appears all but decimated, after the fall of business mogul and Mashonaland East provincial chairman, Ray Kaukonde, on Monday after being fired by the executive through a vote of no confidence.

Grace had warned Kaukonde, that: "Ndakamumaka big time" (I have a big grudge with Kaukonde) at her recent countrywide "Meet the People" rallies.

Kaukonde becomes the eighth Zanu PF chairman's head to roll, for his suspected role as Mujuru's chief financier.

Others who have been booted out include Temba Mliswa (Mashonaland West), Professor Callistus Ndlovu (Bulawayo), John Mvundura (Manicaland), Callisto Gwanetsa (Masvingo), Jason Machaya (Midlands), Amos Midzi (Harare), and Andrew Langa (Matabeleland South).