'I am the next Zimbabwe President,' says Mujuru

ZIMBABWE People First (ZimPF) leader, Joice Mujuru (pictured) yesterday declared she is the next President, only needing the support and the vote of the youths to step into State House after the 2018 elections.

Mujuru, who was addressing ZimPF youths at White City Stadium Youth Arena in Bulawayo, rallied party youths to register to vote for the next elections to unseat President Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF.

The former Vice-President said Mugabe and Zanu-PF will never be removed through sloganeering, saying registering to vote and voting during the 2018 elections was the answer.

"I am the bridge towards a better future, a better life for all. Mugabe is 92, I am 61, and we have a 31-year age difference. Mugabe represents the past, represents failures, whereas I, Mujuru, am the bridge to forming the next government that will bring change to Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans," she said.

Mujuru was in Bulawayo to engage with ZimPF party youths and women, constituencies that officials said are key and form the backbone of the opposition party's support. The ZimPF youths rally was attended by several other top party officials such as Dzikamai Mavhaire and others.

The opposition leader urged youths to refuse to be used by politicians to commit human rights abuses, saying: "Zimbabwe has had enough of that and we need a new culture of politicking".

"I urge you to refuse to be used by politicians to commit whatever crimes, as we head towards the elections. You should unite, and mobilise each other to go and register to vote in the next elections to be able to remove this government that has caused immeasurable damage to this country.

"Things will remain the same if you do not register to vote. Change will never come through attending rallies and sloganeering but registering to vote and voting on the polling day," she said.

Mujuru said she accepted that "some people" will cast aspersions on her sincerity for political change after spending years in government, only becoming vocal after she was booted out of Zanu-PF in 2014.

"There are some who will always question our sincerity because we were in government with Mugabe. It's true, we were in government, but the truth of the matter is that our thinking differed with that of others still remaining in Zanu-PF. We have always been for the people-centred policies, while others were not," she said.

Samuel Sipepa-Nkomo, who recently quit the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to join ZimPF, said he was happy to partner Mujuru towards the 2018 elections.

"I am happy to be part of ZimPF. I am so happy to partner Mujuru in removing Mugabe," he said.