News / National
Mphoko urged to quit Zanu-PF
03 Nov 2017 at 06:35hrs | Views
FORMER National Healing and Reconciliation minister Moses Mzila Ndlovu has urged Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko and other Zanu-PF leaders from Matabeleland region to dump the ruling party and join opposition politics to oust President Robert Mugabe and end marginalisation of the region.
Mzila-Ndlovu, who fronts the opposition Alliance for National Salvation (Ansa) party, said Mphoko should draw lessons from several former-PF-Zapu officials, who failed to reform Zanu-PF from within.
"We agree that it is never going to be easy to push the regional cause, but at the same time, it is not a crime to do so and it is within our rights," he said.
"But one thing we feel as Ansa is that Zimbabwean politics is to a broader extent bordering on regionalism that is why we, for example, have seen Masvingo and Midlands also coming out strongly in their Zanu-PF fights."
Ansa has said it will only field candidates in Midlands and Matabeleland provinces, as it has no national representation.
"It is all a realisation that we stand from a regional point first before we dabble in national politics, and it is in this vein that we feel the likes of Mphoko and others should join us, as they are wasting their time when they think they can reform Zanu-PF from inside and bring change to Matabeleland.
"They have been there for years, but what have they done for Matabeleland? Virtually nothing, hence, the region faces the same problems. The late VP (Joshua) Nkomo failed and his province was poor when he was still alive yet he was a VP and you wonder how then do the Mphokos think they can succeed where others failed."
Nkomo hailed from Kezi, Matabeleland South, and the road leading to the area is still a strip
road.
The other late VP, John Nkomo, hailed from Tsholotsho, Matabeleland North province, and to this day, the Bulawayo-Tsholotsho Road is a potholed strip road.
The region's marginalisation has given birth to several radical pressure groups and secessionist political parties pushing for a separate state of Matabeleland.
Mzila-Ndlovu, who fronts the opposition Alliance for National Salvation (Ansa) party, said Mphoko should draw lessons from several former-PF-Zapu officials, who failed to reform Zanu-PF from within.
"We agree that it is never going to be easy to push the regional cause, but at the same time, it is not a crime to do so and it is within our rights," he said.
"But one thing we feel as Ansa is that Zimbabwean politics is to a broader extent bordering on regionalism that is why we, for example, have seen Masvingo and Midlands also coming out strongly in their Zanu-PF fights."
Ansa has said it will only field candidates in Midlands and Matabeleland provinces, as it has no national representation.
"It is all a realisation that we stand from a regional point first before we dabble in national politics, and it is in this vein that we feel the likes of Mphoko and others should join us, as they are wasting their time when they think they can reform Zanu-PF from inside and bring change to Matabeleland.
"They have been there for years, but what have they done for Matabeleland? Virtually nothing, hence, the region faces the same problems. The late VP (Joshua) Nkomo failed and his province was poor when he was still alive yet he was a VP and you wonder how then do the Mphokos think they can succeed where others failed."
Nkomo hailed from Kezi, Matabeleland South, and the road leading to the area is still a strip
road.
The other late VP, John Nkomo, hailed from Tsholotsho, Matabeleland North province, and to this day, the Bulawayo-Tsholotsho Road is a potholed strip road.
The region's marginalisation has given birth to several radical pressure groups and secessionist political parties pushing for a separate state of Matabeleland.
Source - newsday
