Mliswa vows never to re-join Zanu-PF again

Independent Norton legislator Temba Mliswa, who was pictured in the company of Zanu-PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere raising speculation that he was about to rejoin his erstwhile comrades said yesterday he would rather die than rejoin the ruling party.

Mliswa on Wednesday met with Kasukuwere at his Local Government and Housing ministry offices and the two were  apparently enjoying each other's company.

Considering Mliswa's often rabid criticism of Kasukuwere, the meeting caused quite a stir on social media, with some going as far as branding the outspoken politician a "political turncoat".

However, in an unsolicited interview with the Daily News yesterday, the former Hurungwe West legislator said Zimbabweans must learn to embrace people of divergent views.

"My personal differences with Kasukuwere have nothing to do with government issues, he is a minister and has role of implementing government policies, especially on housing.

"Norton has several problems for instance the issue of almost 1 000 families that are facing eviction from a farm there.

"I stand for the people of Norton and I would rather die before I go back to Zanu-PF," said Mliswa.

After he romped to victory in the Norton by-election, the voluble politician openly mocked the ruling party's secretary for the commissariat.

While Mliswa was an independent candidate only backed at the 11th hour by the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC, Zanu-PF had a war chest that included housing stands, food hampers and other goodies.

During the tense campaign period, Kasukuwere was at the forefront of the ruling party campaign team, sledging Mliswa.

The Norton MP said he also took the opportunity to advise his old rival on the way forward for Zanu-PF.

"I told him how Zanu-PF lost and I told him that as long as you are the political commissar and the economy is like this, then Zanu-PF will continue losing elections," said Mliswa.

According to Mliswa, the land developers at Kingsdale, a farm that Zanu-PF supporters had been given residential stands only to be evicted by the country's courts, gave the occupiers a 10-year reprieve.

"I managed to convince the developer not to evict these people but to give them an extension.

"Most of these people are Zanu-PF members and so I represent everyone in Norton. I told him everyone must benefit from the stands and he was agreeable to that.

"It was a professional discharge of duty. We are meeting again on Monday and I am also going to engage Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri on the issue of water in Norton," said Mliswa.

Immediately after winning the Norton by-election, Mliswa was also pictured in the company of Gokwe Nembudziya MP, Mayor Wadyajena, prompting the G40 faction, to which Kasukuwere belongs, to claim the Team Lacoste faction had a hand in Mliswa victory.

Wadyajena is believed to be a member of the Team Lacoste faction that is reportedly led by vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.