Sybeth Musengezi claims to be a fully paid-up Zanu-PF member

RULING Zanu-PF activist Sybeth Musengezi, who is challenging the party's leader ascendency to the presidency, has described claims by top ruling party leaders that he was not a member as "nonsensical".

Musengezi, last month filed an application at the High Court challenging a Zanu-PF special session Central Committee meeting that elected Mnangagwa to take over as president from Robert Mugabe, as unlawful, null and void.

However, filing opposing affidavits at the High Court last week, the Zanu-PF Politburo member Obert Mpofu and the acting Harare province chairperson, Goodwills Masimirembwa, argued Musengezi had approached the courts with "dirty hands" as he was not a bona fide member.

The Zanu-PF officials added Musengezi was "planted" into the party by former national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, and he was in fact, a member of the newly formed political outfit Front for Economic Emancipation in Zimbabwe (FEEZ).

However, in response to the claims Monday, Musengezi told NewZimbabwe.com that: "All I can say is I am still a full Zanu-PF member, and I do not belong to any other political party.

"It's nonsense to suggest that I was planted by Kasukuwere. Why didn't they fire me from the party if my conduct was not consistent with the party's constitution as alleged?"

He added: "It's just a way of trying to dodge the legitimacy question."

Musengezi said he was Zanu-PF's secretary for business development and liaison with the Muzinda waMugabe district, Zone 4, Harare province before the November 2017 coup.

In his court application, Musengezi said he feared if Mnangagwa was allowed to retain the position of president and Zanu-PF's first secretary, which he acquired illegally in November, he would engage in further illegal acts to retain and consolidate his grip on power.

The matter is yet to be heard.