Ousted ZANU-PF Officials Appeal to SADC, AU, Says Regrouping
THE Zanu PF faction headed by ousted vice president Joice Mujuru has vowed to remain in the ruling party and "re-strategize" from within.
An MP belonging to the faction who asked not to be named fearing further victimisation also revealed that the group had dispatched a petition to SADC and the African Union asking them to intervene and help stop the chaos in Zanu PF.
A ruthless purge of the group over unproven charges of plotting a coup against President Robert Mugabe saw provincial party chairmen being removed, cabinet ministers being fired and Mujuru reduced to an ordinary party member.
Harare-based political analyst and seasoned Zanu PF observer, Ibbo Mandaza said the brutal cull effectively side-lined up to 100 of the ruling party's 160 or so members of parliament.
There had been speculation that the disgruntled group would either seek a coalition with the Morgan Tsavangirai-led MDC or form a separate political party. The MDC has however, said it has no appetite for an alliance with Mujuru.
The former VP also indicated in an interview that she would "die in Zanu PF" and, in line with that, a top member of the group said Wednesday that they would seek to regroup within the ruling party.
"Once you do that (leaving Zanu PF) you are finished," said the legislator, asking not to be named.
"We will stay in the party and re-strategize. After all we were not ejected from the party but from the central committee and politburo. It's only one or two of us (Rugare Gumbo and Jabulani Sibanda) who were expelled.
"People should understand that the votes of no confidence against provincial party chairmen only meant that the people were no longer interested in working with us.
"In fact, it meant that they were no longer confident with our leadership and did not mean to say that we were expelled."
The legislator also said, contrary to media reports suggesting former presidential affairs minister Didymus Mutasa appealed to ex-South African President Thabo Mbeki to help reverse his ouster, the whole faction had dispatched a petition to SADC and the African Union (AU).
The petition, according to MP, was signed by a number of the Mujuru allies and urges SADC and AU leaders to intervene and help reverse the outcome of the just ended 6th Zanu PF people's congress.
The congress saw the party's constitution being amended at the eleventh hour to allow Mugabe to choose his deputies and members of the politburo in a move designed to facilitate the elimination of Mujuru and her group.
"It's a petition which was signed by a number of the ousted cadres who are not happy with the treatment which we got," said the legislator.
"We want to the continent and the region to see that the current SADC chairperson (President Robert Mugabe) is not a proponent of democracy. He is a hypocrite."
Zimbabwe: Chombo Blasts Mutasa Over Zuma Appeal
NEWLY appointed Zanu PF secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo has blasted Didymus Mutasa saying his predecessor was trying to reverse the resolutions of the just ended Zanu PF congress.
Mutasa, the former Zimbabwe presidential affairs minister, called on South African President Jacob Zuma to alert regional governments to what he said was the undemocratic sacking of former VP Joice Mujuru and her allies.
Chombo however dismissed Mutasa saying he cannot reverse the resolutions of the congress. In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com Wednesday Chombo said Mutasa's views were not worth worrying about.
"That is wishful thinking and nothing to lose sleep over. The congress was duly constituted and there were more than 12 000 people; now who is Mutasa to dismiss the resolutions," Chombo said.
Mutasa is one of the victims of the purges which came soon after the ruling party's congress last week claiming a number of top party and government officials including Mujuru.
The hurt veteran nationalist responded to the sack last weekend.
Speaking from India where his wife is having medical treatment Mutasa said: "We refuse to be chucked out of Zanu PF which some of us have been in for 57 years."
"We fought for 'one man, one vote' majority rule, which is not provided for in the current Zanu PF constitution adopted at the last congress," Mutasa said. "It gives all votes to the president alone and violates the supreme law of the country. It is therefore null and void, all that transpired at the 6th congress."
He added: "We call on Zanu PF to work as it was before the 6th congress which was itself unlawful." Mutasa was referring to the fact that loyalists of President Robert Mugabe and opponents of Mujuru had unilaterally changed the procedures for electing top party officials just before the congress.
Mutasa who was also among those accused of plotting to oust or assassinate Mugabe was replaced by Chombo as secretary for administration.
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| Ousted ZANU-PF official Didymus Mutasa has appealed to the AU. |
An MP belonging to the faction who asked not to be named fearing further victimisation also revealed that the group had dispatched a petition to SADC and the African Union asking them to intervene and help stop the chaos in Zanu PF.
A ruthless purge of the group over unproven charges of plotting a coup against President Robert Mugabe saw provincial party chairmen being removed, cabinet ministers being fired and Mujuru reduced to an ordinary party member.
Harare-based political analyst and seasoned Zanu PF observer, Ibbo Mandaza said the brutal cull effectively side-lined up to 100 of the ruling party's 160 or so members of parliament.
There had been speculation that the disgruntled group would either seek a coalition with the Morgan Tsavangirai-led MDC or form a separate political party. The MDC has however, said it has no appetite for an alliance with Mujuru.
The former VP also indicated in an interview that she would "die in Zanu PF" and, in line with that, a top member of the group said Wednesday that they would seek to regroup within the ruling party.
"Once you do that (leaving Zanu PF) you are finished," said the legislator, asking not to be named.
"We will stay in the party and re-strategize. After all we were not ejected from the party but from the central committee and politburo. It's only one or two of us (Rugare Gumbo and Jabulani Sibanda) who were expelled.
"People should understand that the votes of no confidence against provincial party chairmen only meant that the people were no longer interested in working with us.
"In fact, it meant that they were no longer confident with our leadership and did not mean to say that we were expelled."
The legislator also said, contrary to media reports suggesting former presidential affairs minister Didymus Mutasa appealed to ex-South African President Thabo Mbeki to help reverse his ouster, the whole faction had dispatched a petition to SADC and the African Union (AU).
The petition, according to MP, was signed by a number of the Mujuru allies and urges SADC and AU leaders to intervene and help reverse the outcome of the just ended 6th Zanu PF people's congress.
The congress saw the party's constitution being amended at the eleventh hour to allow Mugabe to choose his deputies and members of the politburo in a move designed to facilitate the elimination of Mujuru and her group.
"It's a petition which was signed by a number of the ousted cadres who are not happy with the treatment which we got," said the legislator.
"We want to the continent and the region to see that the current SADC chairperson (President Robert Mugabe) is not a proponent of democracy. He is a hypocrite."
Zimbabwe: Chombo Blasts Mutasa Over Zuma Appeal
NEWLY appointed Zanu PF secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo has blasted Didymus Mutasa saying his predecessor was trying to reverse the resolutions of the just ended Zanu PF congress.
Mutasa, the former Zimbabwe presidential affairs minister, called on South African President Jacob Zuma to alert regional governments to what he said was the undemocratic sacking of former VP Joice Mujuru and her allies.
Chombo however dismissed Mutasa saying he cannot reverse the resolutions of the congress. In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com Wednesday Chombo said Mutasa's views were not worth worrying about.
"That is wishful thinking and nothing to lose sleep over. The congress was duly constituted and there were more than 12 000 people; now who is Mutasa to dismiss the resolutions," Chombo said.
Mutasa is one of the victims of the purges which came soon after the ruling party's congress last week claiming a number of top party and government officials including Mujuru.
The hurt veteran nationalist responded to the sack last weekend.
Speaking from India where his wife is having medical treatment Mutasa said: "We refuse to be chucked out of Zanu PF which some of us have been in for 57 years."
"We fought for 'one man, one vote' majority rule, which is not provided for in the current Zanu PF constitution adopted at the last congress," Mutasa said. "It gives all votes to the president alone and violates the supreme law of the country. It is therefore null and void, all that transpired at the 6th congress."
He added: "We call on Zanu PF to work as it was before the 6th congress which was itself unlawful." Mutasa was referring to the fact that loyalists of President Robert Mugabe and opponents of Mujuru had unilaterally changed the procedures for electing top party officials just before the congress.
Mutasa who was also among those accused of plotting to oust or assassinate Mugabe was replaced by Chombo as secretary for administration.
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