Zanu Mujuru faction just a hegemonic struggle

Political commentators have said the struggle that is being mounted by the faction led by former Vice president Joice Mujuru against Zanu PF, President Robert Mugabe and Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa was not purely legitimate but was just a power or hegemonic struggle which must not be out rightly described as democratic.

This comes after Mujuru was last week expelled from the party when already her allies Didymas Mutasa, Rugare Gumbo and Jabulani Sibanda have since been expelled from the party.

Last week they lost a court case against Mugabe and Zanu PF at the Constitutional Court and they have since reportedly formed their party called Zanu PF with the prefix of the name standing for People First.

A media scholar and political commentator Pedzisai Ruhanya said while he agrees with Zanu People First (Zanu PF) that they have legitimate grievances against their former party, the mere fact that they are a vanquished faction of an authoritarian political party does not make them a democratic faction.

"Their struggles in ZANU PF were just power/hegemonic struggles and not all struggles are democratic," he said. "Therefore, I am not seduced by their idea to rally opposition forces around a vanquished faction of a competitive electoral authoritarian regime. When did this group realize that People Come First? What was the Damascene moment?"

"I expect the MDC formations to make peace first with each other then extend coalitions to People First. That is my view. Better the devil you know. If the PF want to redeem the politics of this country genuinely, they should humble themselves and join others not to call people to join a faction of ZANU PF."

Maxwell Saungweme  said Zanu PF factions are faction of the same gang of notorious plunders of the
nation and violators of human rights.

"We cannot suddenly forget that an angel from hell is evil because the  devil has disowned it," he said.

Warship Dumba  said the two Zanu OPF factions are just different sides of the same coin.

Rawlings Magede said, "We can't apply lipstick on frogs and expect them to become fish. A frog
remains a frog period! Before they were expelled they were actually vowing  to remain in what they called the "original" ZANU PF."

Rashweat Mukundu   said if Mutasa  had not been fired what will he be saying right now about the
people of Zimbabwe, more so the opposition and Mugabe...?

"Its political opportunism and taking citizens for granted writ large...Zimbabwe needs new political minds and strategies not recycled
politicians," he said.

Wallace Chuma  said these characters crying foul today were for decades active members of a heartless establishment which broke many people's dreams, created widows, sent many to premature and unnecessary deaths because they neglected public health
funding, rigged elections, sent millions into forced migration...the list is endless.

A villager in Makoni South said previously the courts were flooded with court cases with the names of the Zanu PF members now calling themselves People first because they were directly or indirectly involved in gross human rights violations. They were obsessed with Zanu People First, people second whatever.

Sanderson Makombe  said the best thing were form Mujuru faction to go back to their former party.

A journalist Dumisani Muleya  said while he  agrees with Ruhanya's remarks and most of the views stated he  thinks for
strategic reasons, in the context of dismantling Zanu PF hegemony and its authoritarian system, Mujuru and company can play a positive role in the progressive change and democratization agenda.

"Relatively democratic change in some countries in post-colonial Africa resulted from factions of the ruling parties coalescing with the opposition to change remnants of the status quo," said Muleya.

Alex Muregi  said they are bringing with them a constituent....a significant number of empathisers and disaffected.

"I think they should be allowed to fill the empty side of the big tent without overwhelming it. Their doctrine is inferior and should be given an
obscure space if any," he said.

Brighton Musonza said Mujuru faction re-energise politics.

"For me that is more than vital," he said. "They generate a new alternative view to the one carried by the MDC in the last decade and half. They have their own constituency different from the MDC and whatever their past does not carry any traction in this transitional politics. They are a formation born out of transitional succession politics and they cannot be dismissed on the premise of the past record before they spell out their side of the story."

 He said as Zanu PF members exchange war of words people must expect journalists to take notes and rewrite this skewed liberation struggled history which has been narrated around Robert Mugabe. "Hallelujah! What they offer in opposition politics is an inside knowledge and experience. They have the potential for rural political infrastructure penetration suffice to dismantle the hegemony," he said.

Simba Mhare   said, "Why is it that people do not accept failure. If Mugabe can defeat them where do they think they can find relevance."