THE Joice Mujuru-led Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) party broke up in dramatic fashion yesterday after weeks of muted catfights over control of the yet-to-be officially launched opposition party, formed less than two years ago.
BY EVERSON MUSHAVA
Mujuru fired the first shots, expelling seven ZimPF founding members — among them Rugare Gumbo, Didymus Mutasa, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti and Margaret Dongo — in a pre-emptive strike, ostensibly to defuse a looming insurrection, before the expelled group regrouped in the afternoon and claimed to show her the exit door.
Addressing journalists at her Harare home, Mujuru claimed Mutasa and Gumbo were part of a group that was stalling “the democratic process” within the party.
“All sorts of tricks, ranging from coup d’état and sophisticated infiltration have taken centre stage with a view to delaying the people’s cause of unequivocal liberation,” she said, on a day of high political drama.
Mujuru said she had also expelled ZimPF youth leader Luckson Kandemiri, Munacho Mutezo and Cloudious Makova.
“As a party, we have decided to take stern measures against elements determined to stall the progress that the party has been making,” she said, warning more heads would roll.
“As a result, we have decided to eject some of the colleagues and comrades we thought would stand with the people’s cause, but have chosen to be agents of the regime.
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“We assure Zimbabweans that more heads are going to roll in this revolutionary cleansing exercise. We remain committed to the democratisation of Zimbabwe. We remain committed to a coalition of progressive opposition forces to fight and remove Zanu PF from office.”
NewsDay gathered that the storm, which led to yesterday’s implosion, started building up last week when ZimPF women’s league members told Mujuru to demote party organiser, Dzikamai Mavhaire, accusing him of fanning factionalism.
After the women’s league meeting, Mujuru then reportedly met the party’s founders, among them Gumbo, Mutasa, Makova, Sylvester Nguni and Dongo, where the Mavhaire issue popped up again.
Sources said the group proposed Mavhaire be replaced by Agrippa Mutambara, but Mujuru ignored the plea.
At the meeting, the founders gave Mujuru an ultimatum to expel Mavhaire or consider herself fired.
Mujuru then met ZimPF provincial structures in Bulawayo at the weekend, where she indicated to her interlocutors that she was not going to budge.
But, Gumbo and his team yesterday denied plotting to revolt against Mujuru, with the expelled members saying she had instead fired herself from the party.
They said Mujuru had no legal authority, as an interim leader, to expel them and they were surprised to hear of their expulsion, when they were actually waiting for her at the party offices to resolve the Mavhaire issue.
“Needless to say, this is not in line with the draft ZimPF constitution and the values of the party. She [Mujuru] has no right to expel us,” Gumbo said.
“Mujuru was, in fact, appointed by us, the founders of the party, to lead the party as an interim president.
“We are fully aware that the decision Mujuru made was based on advice from crooks, relatives, the Nzous [people who use the elephant totem] and corrupt cronies who are fugitives from justice.”
Gumbo said ZimPF would meet to select a more able and young leader to take the party forward as Mujuru had completely failed.
Mutasa said he was disappointed that Mujuru had the courage to fire them, yet they were expelled from Zanu PF on her account. He said they would come up with a new party constitution, not the one “imposed” on them by Mujuru and crafted by her spokesperson, Gift Nyandoro.
Bhasikiti said he was concerned that he had been sacrificed for telling Mujuru directly at their last meeting that he did not believe she had the requisite qualities to lead the party.
“I told her I was losing faith in her leadership because she was now behaving like [President Robert] Mugabe, who wants one centre of power,” he said.
“Look, she has expelled us without even calling us to a disciplinary hearing. Firing the owners of the party! She has isolated herself from the party and ZimPF will continue.”
Makova said Mujuru was treating the party as a tribal institution, always surrounding herself with people of her tribe and totem.
“We appointed her not knowing that she doesn’t know anything,” Makova said.
“Sometimes, you wonder whether these degrees are given or worked for. We haven’t said anything about her now, there will be more. She can lead a family, not a party.”
Dongo described Mujuru as a pathetic leader, adding their fallout was triggered by her opposition to the appointment of two vice-presidents.
Mutezo said ZimPF was a brand, not Mujuru’s private property.
But, ZimPF spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire said: “Our strong intelligence department has incontrovertible evidence that our erstwhile colleagues were now supping with Zanu PF, the ultimate enemy.
“Furthermore, there were spirited efforts by some of these comrades to scuttle the coalition talks we are involved in through reckless statements aimed at besmirching colleagues from other political parties that we are working with.
“They were also stalling and scuttling preparations for the convention, an important party programme aimed at electing substantive leadership.”
ZimPF structures such as Matabeleland South and Midlands yesterday backed Mujuru’s actions.
