31 MDC-T Supporters Defect to ZANU-PF

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe greets Politburo members of the ZANU-PF ruling party on Friday, April 4, 2008.
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31 MDC-T supporters defect to Zanu –PF

From George Maponga in Masvingo
Zimbabwe Herald

At least 31 MDC-T supporters here publicly denounced their party and joined Zanu-PF at the weekend.

Zanu-PF political commissar Cde Webster Shamu hailed them for their decision and reminded Zimbabweans to uphold the virtues of honesty and integrity which were the cornerstone of the successful execution of the war of liberation.

The former MDC-T supporters told a gathering comprising senior Zanu-PF leaders in Masvingo that they were fed up with empty rhetoric and had decided to go to the party that brought Independence.

All of them — who come from Masvingo North constituency — denounced MDC-T saying it was an instrument of imperialists to further their own interests that were alien to the aspirations of the majority of Zimbabweans. The new converts threw away their MDC-T party cards and regalia and pledged to fully support Zanu-PF because of its people-centred policies like the land reform programme and indigenisation of the economy. Cde Shamu led Zanu-PF officials in welcoming the group and gave them the party's regalia.

The political commissar said, "We should always remember that this country came as a result of a lot of sacrifice during the war of liberation and Zanu-PF as a party should always be guided by the wishes of the majority.

"Zanu-PF is a party of honesty and transparency and it demands as much from its leaders for it to retain the support of the masses. We do now want leaders who enrich themselves but we want leaders who serve the majority."

Quoting the Biblical parable of the prodigal son, Cde Shamu said former MDC-T supporters who had rejoined Zanu-PF were not supposed to be discriminated against.

Cde Shamu said Zanu-PF was a progressive revolutionary party.

"I want to appeal to Zanu-PF supporters and the leadership at various levels not to discriminate against them but speedily incorporate them into Zanu-PF structures because we are not a retributive but a progressive party," said Cde Shamu.

Masvingo North House of Assembly representative Cde Stan Mudenge (Zanu-PF) said he was relieved that people in his constituency were beginning to realise the "folly of backing MDC-T", which he said was a party without clear people-centred ideological direction.