Mliswa labels Mujuru, Mutasa as cowards, distances himself from People First

There was a new twist last week in the former Vice President Joice Mururu camp of Zanu PF renegades as the former Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial Chairman Temba Mliswa distanced himself from Mujuru and and  former Zanu-PF secretary for administration  Didymus Mutasa.

He described them as cowards" and "failures" who were wasting people's time by forming a political party.

Mliswa was expelled from the party for being part of the Mujuru cabal and has been heavily linked to the so-called People First movement that is pushing for the formation of a political party led by the former Vice-President.

He was fired alongside Mujuru and 16 ministers and deputies on charges of plotting to remove President Mugabe from power unconstitutionally. Addressing journalists last Friday at the Bulawayo Press Club, Mliswa labelled both  Mujuru and Mr Mutasa - who is his uncle - as cowards who had dismally failed as leaders in Zanu-PF as they only started making noise after they were expelled from the revolutionary party

"I have always questioned these leaders that they were senior members of the party sitting in the Politiburo, that is pre-congress, but they never did a thing when these things were being discussed," Mliswa is quoted as saying. "It is only now that they say these things are not true."
He said if they are leaders where were they and what did they do?
"Why talk now? Whoever wants to form this People First party is just wasting people's time," he said. "They failed to stand for themselves. They are failures who will never get an opportunity to correct their misdoings. I cannot be part of a bunch of cowards, what party do they want to form, with who as their leader?"

Sunday Mail reported that Mliswa said the two had chance to tell President Robert Mugabe their side of the story and even warn him when being told inaccurate information because they occupied powerful positions in both the country and the party but instead sat back and only started talking when they were thrown out of the system.

"They sat in the Politburo, they had access to the President but what did they do nothing. I can never be part of people who cannot stand for themselves," he said. "It is more painful for me because I would never just sit in a meeting and be told something which I have reservations about and just keep quiet."

Mliswa said  he had resolved to take a sabbatical from party politics where he would just sit back and observe from a distance.

He denied knowing anything called People First and was now advocating for the participation of young people in active politics.

 Mliswa recently contested as an independent candidate and lost the Hurungwe West by-election to Zanu-PF's Keith Guzah.

He has since approached the Electoral Court challenging Guzah's victory on the basis that by the time of the election, Guzah's name had not yet appeared on the voter's roll after he transferred his voting registration from Magunje Constituency.