We're still Zanu-PF, says G40

EXILED members of the Zanu-PF's G40 faction have said they are still Zanu-PF members and are fighting tirelessly to force the ruling Zanu-PF party to return to constitutionalism, accusing President Emmerson Mnangagwa of fraudulently "shooting his way to power" in 2017.

This came after Zanu-PF on Wednesday claimed that former party national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, his brothers and some G40 elements, who fled a pursuing military during the November 2017 coup, had reapplied to rejoin the party, but the door remained shut for them.

Kasukuwere, former ministers Patrick Zhuwao, Ignatius Chombo, Walter Mzembi and Jonathan Moyo, among others, were key members of the G40 faction that coalesced around the late former President Robert Mugabe and wife Grace, before they were pushed out by the army in the November 2017 coup.

"I will not go to court with politics. I will fight politically. Our removal from the party was unconstitutional. We were chased away with guns over our heads and that was unconstitutional," a defiant Kasukuwere said.

"They tried creating charges against some of us and they were dropped. The people must be free to speak and not be threatened with guns. You cannot start shooting people and threatening them with guns, then the next morning you wake up to say you are a leader, no. That will be challenged."

Kasukuwere's house was shelled with bullets together with that of Moyo during the coup, forcing them to flee the country.

While Kasukuwere is pushing to reform Zanu-PF, Moyo said he was now done with the ruling party.

Kasukuwere's fury came after Zanu-PF acting spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa claimed the G40 cabal would not be allowed back into Zanu-PF.

"We must also say we have received applications for readmission from people who are still unrepentant. There are some G40 elements who come and say they want to be readmitted, but after they tell us that story, they go and work against the party and one such comrade is Kasukuwere and his brothers, who in the dead of the night are undermining Zanu-PF and want to come and be readmitted into the party. We will not allow such," Chinamasa said after the Wednesday politburo meeting.

The former Local Government minister hit back, saying: "Chinamasa is being dishonest and unfortunate. Three comrades, myself, Mzembi and Zhuwao met the ANC [African National Congress] whose deliberations and discussions remain privileged until the process is over."

Kasukuwere said he was clear on how to return Zanu-PF to constitutionalism and he would not be distracted.

"Attempts to personalise and malign will be ignored. The crisis is national in nature and cannot be reduced to individuals or factions. I am clear about how we should fix the legitimacy issues all round and will keep my eye on the ball. This is the main cause of our crisis," he said.

"The cause of our national crisis is to deal with lack of constitutionalism at a party level which has manifested itself at a national level. Once constitutionality within the party is fixed, it will cascade to the national level."

In apparent reference to Mnangagwa's rage on the G40 cabal and threats to have them extradited to face trial in Zimbabwe, Kasukuwere said this was a continuation of an assault on young people which he said must stop.

"The assault on the young generation must come to an end, where political contestation is free, fair and credible. We must remove fear, hate, favour and patronage. Politics must always lead the gun. Vision, ideology and direction must be central to our total emancipation," he said.

"I remain a card-carrying member of the party until due process is carried in line with the party's constitution. I remain committed to the unity of the party which is key to sustainable national development."

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba, however, claimed that the G40 cabal was behind an anti-Zimbabwe campaign.

"When you go through Kasukuwere's self-tripping thread, you realise there was nothing classified or privileged about his group's equally telling interaction with the ANC ahead of the empty noise on the so-called Zimbabwe crisis," Charamba said in response to Kasukuwere.

"It confirms who was behind, loading and stoking this false campaign, bank-rolled by hostile Western embassies. In sum, it makes the nexus between G40 and many forces in and beyond our region, good stuff for serious investigation."

Zanu-PF has implicated United Ststes ambassador to Zimbabwe, Brian Nichols in a regime change agenda, claims rubbished by the envoy who said Washington's interest in Harare was to push for a return to democracy and an end to human rights abuses.