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Zapu launches a salvo at Zanu-PF's Obert Mpofu
11 Jan 2024 at 01:38hrs | Views
OPPOSITION Zapu launched a salvo yesterday at Zanu-PF's secretary for administration Obert Mpofu who recently described the country's opposition political parties as having a short lifespan.
Writing in his personal capacity an article published in a local weekly State-run newspaper, Mpofu said Zanu-PF was the only party which had stood the test of time, an assertion which riled Zapu.
Zapu spokesperson Richard Gandari said his party noted Mpofu's opinion piece with outright contempt.
"Mpofu's piece represents a whole week of lies at a time when most Christians are busy completing their 10 days of fasting for a fruitful new year. The article titled: Opposition life short, is nasty and brutish, is a flight of fancy that reduces its author to a nefarious, rather mischievous character," Gandari fumed.
"In his diatribe against all opposition parties in Zimbabwe, Mpofu claims that, ‘indeed, being Zanu-PF is being Zimbabwean and being Zimbabwean is being Zanu-PF'. Nothing could be further from the truth. Only (the late) Robert Mugabe had such a warped view of what qualifies Zimbabwean citizenship.'"
Gandari said there was no democratic State anywhere in the world, where membership to one party or another is synonymous with citizenship.
"Normally, Zapu would not dignify blatant lies with a response, but the possible impact of Mpofu's assertions, poses a socio-political hazard if left unchallenged.
"By claiming that, Zanu-PF has outlived every other political outfit that has ever tried to deceive the masses, Mpofu distorts the historical fact that his party was formed in 1963, well after Zapu, the original revolutionary party formed in 1961," Gandari said.
He furiously pointed out that it was neither "illegal nor subversive" to seek regime change in a democratic country.
"As Zapu, we seek to unseat Zanu-PF from power through constitutional means.
"We remain unapologetic and clear about our regime change agenda. We believe that multi-party democracy is a contestation of ideas," he charged.
Gandari said only Zany PF regards regime change as something illegal, unpatriotic and treasonous.
Writing in his personal capacity an article published in a local weekly State-run newspaper, Mpofu said Zanu-PF was the only party which had stood the test of time, an assertion which riled Zapu.
Zapu spokesperson Richard Gandari said his party noted Mpofu's opinion piece with outright contempt.
"Mpofu's piece represents a whole week of lies at a time when most Christians are busy completing their 10 days of fasting for a fruitful new year. The article titled: Opposition life short, is nasty and brutish, is a flight of fancy that reduces its author to a nefarious, rather mischievous character," Gandari fumed.
"In his diatribe against all opposition parties in Zimbabwe, Mpofu claims that, ‘indeed, being Zanu-PF is being Zimbabwean and being Zimbabwean is being Zanu-PF'. Nothing could be further from the truth. Only (the late) Robert Mugabe had such a warped view of what qualifies Zimbabwean citizenship.'"
Gandari said there was no democratic State anywhere in the world, where membership to one party or another is synonymous with citizenship.
"By claiming that, Zanu-PF has outlived every other political outfit that has ever tried to deceive the masses, Mpofu distorts the historical fact that his party was formed in 1963, well after Zapu, the original revolutionary party formed in 1961," Gandari said.
He furiously pointed out that it was neither "illegal nor subversive" to seek regime change in a democratic country.
"As Zapu, we seek to unseat Zanu-PF from power through constitutional means.
"We remain unapologetic and clear about our regime change agenda. We believe that multi-party democracy is a contestation of ideas," he charged.
Gandari said only Zany PF regards regime change as something illegal, unpatriotic and treasonous.
Source - southern eye
