Mujuru circus rages on

More confusion beset ZimPF yesterday, as party structures were divided over leader, Joice Mujuru's decision to expel seven senior party officials on allegations they were Zanu-PF agents.

The opposition party's youths in Bulawayo rallied behind Mujuru, saying the expulsions, which were announced on Wednesday, were long overdue, although the expelled party founders made a counter move and fired the former Vice-President labelling her a dictator.

ZimPF Masvingo provincial spokesperson, Jefferson Chitando, accused the ousted members - Didymus Mutasa, Rugare Gumbo, Cloudious Makova, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, Margaret Dongo, Luckson Kandemiri and Munacho Mutezo - of frustrating Mujuru's efforts to form a grand coalition with other opposition parties.

"We are totally behind the expulsions, which we understand are meant to weed out all elements who want to derail the struggle," Chitando said.

"These people were selfish and not considering the suffering of Zimbabweans, who are crying for able leadership to engage other democratic forces for a coalition."

He said the fired members had failed to cleanse themselves of the spirit of dictatorship, dishonesty, factionalism and violence, which he alleged was borrowed from Zanu-PF.

Chitando accused Makova of railroading the party to participate in the Bikita West parliamentary by-election without adequate preparations, culminating in its humiliating defeat by the ruling party.

"The people of Masvingo remember the undemocratic nature in which Makova frogmarched the party into Bikita West by-election," he said.

"The provincial executive explained to Mutasa and Gumbo the disadvantages of participating in the election, but the two endorsed the decision to participate without adequate resources.

"We had a true conviction that these members were working for Zanu-PF. They unilaterally declared participation in an ill-funded lection."

Chitando also accused Bhasikiti of declaring himself as a candidate for the Mwenezi East by-election without following party procedures.

ZimPF Midlands province interim secretary for legal affairs, Nelson Mashizha said they had already expelled Gumbo's allies from their structures.

"The expelled members include, but are not limited to, former interim provincial coordinator, Wilson Svova, former steering committee member, Arthur Chikerema and former war veterans' leader Fanuel Magasa, who had been handpicked and deployed to destroy the party," he said.

But in keeping with the script that played out on Wednesday, Svova said they were not consulted on Mujuru's decision and were now severing ties with her.

"We were shocked by the decision taken by the interim president yesterday (Wednesday) because we were not aware of it," he said.

ZimPF Manicaland province castigated Mujuru's move, accusing her of dictatorship.

Gilbert Navonika, ZimPF's UK and Europe interim committee chairperson, on the other hand, said: "We give her our unequivocal support as she builds a truly inclusive party that is not mirror image of Zanu-PF or its expendables."

The youth wing also threw their support behind Mujuru.

"Contrary to uninformed theories that the expulsion portrays lack of democracy within the party, we as the ZimPF national youth wing debunk these unfounded conceptions and choose to remain committed to the struggle," ZimPF Bulwayo interim spokesperson, Bulawa Khulani Ndlovu.

He urged Mujuru not to be swayed, but continue pushing for a unity pact to unseat Zanu-PF in the 2018 polls.