News / National
Mujuru to form own party
15 Jan 2015 at 08:47hrs | Views
OUSTED VP Joice Mujuru is reportedly under pressure from disgruntled colleagues that include Zanu PF ex-secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa to form a party to challenge President Mugabe.
Mujuru was fired from both the ruling party and government in December last year after the First Lady Grace Mugabe led the campaign against her on allegations of plotting Mugabe's violent ouster.
Sources close to Mujuru said the former VP is being put under pressure by some of her colleagues to form a party which will bring together, Simba Makoni, leader of Mavambo Kusile Dawn party and Dumiso Dabengwa, leader of the revived Zapu.
"The plot is to bring all the opposition parties together and form a coalition. We know that Emmerson Mnangagwa will need a lot of cleansing to be accepted by the people as compared to Mujuru and others," the source said.
"Mujuru is hesitant to challenge Mugabe but from the meetings, she has realized that there is no harm in taking the bull by its horns. This is necessitated by fears that Grace wants to rise and Mujuru will not let the fight go just like that. We (the faction) believe that Grace is unelectable," a senior faction member said.
Although the former vice president refused to comment, Rugare Gumbo, the expelled Zanu PF spokesperson and a key ally of the faction told NewZimbabwe.com that "formation of the party was not dismissible" but for now they wanted to take the legal route.
"If the legal route fails, we will see from there and make the way forward," he said adding that "But that possibility is a possibility".
Mutasa this week released a damming statement attacking Mugabe and his wife Grace, who has not hidden her presidential ambitions, saying they have lost direction and were destroying the party.
In the statement, Mutasa said a clique had hijacked the party and abused Mugabe to an extent that his legacy is now tattered within the liberation circles.
According to sources, the Mujuru faction has met twice discussing the way forward and has already met with Dabengwa trying to map the way forward.
So far, Mujuru has visited Matabeleland North province twice, although her agenda remains unknown.
Mujuru was fired from both the ruling party and government in December last year after the First Lady Grace Mugabe led the campaign against her on allegations of plotting Mugabe's violent ouster.
Sources close to Mujuru said the former VP is being put under pressure by some of her colleagues to form a party which will bring together, Simba Makoni, leader of Mavambo Kusile Dawn party and Dumiso Dabengwa, leader of the revived Zapu.
"The plot is to bring all the opposition parties together and form a coalition. We know that Emmerson Mnangagwa will need a lot of cleansing to be accepted by the people as compared to Mujuru and others," the source said.
"Mujuru is hesitant to challenge Mugabe but from the meetings, she has realized that there is no harm in taking the bull by its horns. This is necessitated by fears that Grace wants to rise and Mujuru will not let the fight go just like that. We (the faction) believe that Grace is unelectable," a senior faction member said.
Although the former vice president refused to comment, Rugare Gumbo, the expelled Zanu PF spokesperson and a key ally of the faction told NewZimbabwe.com that "formation of the party was not dismissible" but for now they wanted to take the legal route.
"If the legal route fails, we will see from there and make the way forward," he said adding that "But that possibility is a possibility".
Mutasa this week released a damming statement attacking Mugabe and his wife Grace, who has not hidden her presidential ambitions, saying they have lost direction and were destroying the party.
In the statement, Mutasa said a clique had hijacked the party and abused Mugabe to an extent that his legacy is now tattered within the liberation circles.
According to sources, the Mujuru faction has met twice discussing the way forward and has already met with Dabengwa trying to map the way forward.
So far, Mujuru has visited Matabeleland North province twice, although her agenda remains unknown.
Source - online
