Mujuru suffers another blow

JOICE Mujuru's National People's Party (NPP) on Saturday suffered yet another blow after 50 members from its Bulawayo and Matabeleland North provinces renounced their membership citing tribalism, lack of transparency and democracy.

The developments came a few days after several party top executives in Matabeleland South province also dumped Mujuru over similar allegations.

Steven Nkiwane, former NPP constituency chair for Magwegwe in Bulawayo, said the party unilaterally dissolved local structures on tribal grounds.

"We had provincial elections that were held in April and the people elected were stripped of their positions. So there is no democracy in this party and, for now, we are pursuing other agendas," he said.

"It is painful that the losers, who were not elected by people, are now office bearers."

Another disgruntled former member, Sinikiwe Toronga, said: "We have sent our concerns to Mujuru herself and our complaints were not addressed, as the masses we are not happy at all."

Max Mnkandla said the party had gone for a long time without any congress, saying the party leadership was making decisions that were not people-oriented, but for themselves.

"As it is, the party has engaged in coalitions without consulting the masses. They should have consulted us first as the nucleus of the party, but this did not happen. That is why we are citing lack of democracy in the party," Mnkandla, who was NPP's Matabeleland North provincial co-ordinator, said.

"My message to Mujuru is that she must ask herself where many people are who started the party with her. Is she the only right person and all others are wrong? The powers she gave to (national chair) Dzikamai Mavhaire have destroyed her party. We find that the Central Intelligence Organisation members are in the structures as members of the executive then you expect to building strong opposition from the people who are purely Zanu-PF."

She said Mujuru was no longer popular because of her adoption of her former party Zanu-PF's strategies of leadership, adding the NPP would never win elections.

Contacted for comment, NPP national spokesperson Methuseli Moyo described the group as a bunch of rejected members.

"They are not defecting if they were to be honest with you. They have been rejected because of their unclear intentions. It will never be easy for anyone to use money or agents to infiltrate NPP. We have a very robust and alert system. We wish them well in their new venture," he said.

"For the record, Mnkandla had no post in the party. He was suspended from being chair over certain allegations. The irony is that there is a claim that NPP Bulawayo province is against Shonas, so are Nkiwane, Mnkandla, Dube and others Shonas? It is strange really.

"If they have nothing to say, why don't they keep quiet? NPP is for every Zimbabwean, but we can't ignore the fact that there are regions and tribes in Zimbabwe. Our party is working hard to integrate everyone, but some people sent to cause confusion are deliberately distorting the facts."