Implosion rocks Mujuru’s ZimPF Claudious Makova
Claudious Makova

Claudious Makova

George Maponga:Masvingo Bureau

Fresh from a drubbing by Zanu-PF in the Bikita West by-election on Saturday, ZimPF yesterday woke up to news that one of its leaders had quit the Dr Joice Mujuru-led party.Retired Colonel Claudious Makova, the ZimPf provincial co-ordinator who had reportedly assured Dr Mujuru that ZimPF would prevail, resigned from his post in a huff in the wake of his party’s embarrassing defeat.

Dr Mujuru and her party got a baptism of fire in their maiden electoral contest after Zanu-PF candidate Cde Beauty Chabaya romped to victory with 13 156 votes, while ZimPF candidate Mr Kudakwashe Gopo got a paltry 2 453 votes to come a distant second.

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Sources in the party said two factions in ZimPF here were haggling over whether or not to take part in polls prior to the Bikita West by-election.

A faction reportedly loyal to former Zanu-PF Politburo member and now ZimPF senior official Mr Dzikamai Mavhaire was said to be against taking part because party structures were still weak.

The other faction fronted by Rtd Col Makova reportedly pushed vigorously to participate until the national leadership of ZimPF led by Dr Mujuru capitulated.

The sources said the faction opposed to participation wrote to Dr Mujuru warning her of an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Zanu-PF if ZimPF took part in the polls.

‘’We are unhappy with what happened in Bikita West because we had warned the leadership of the party led by Dr Mujuru through several letters that we wrote to the effect that the party would lose if we participated in this by-election but our views were ignored after (Rtd Colonel) Makova gave the leadership false assurances,’’ said the source.

It is believed Rtd Colonel Makova phoned Dr Mujuru and announced his resignation from his post after allegedly failing to come to terms with the electoral defeat of Mr Gopo, who is believed to be his protege and blue-eyed boy.

Rtd Colonel Makova yesterday confirmed he had indeed resigned from his post as ZimPF Masvingo provincial co-ordinator but denied that the move was a result of the outcome of the Bikita West by-election.

‘’I am over 70 years old now and I cannot keep pace with young people. I have decided to take a back seat from active politics but this is not to say that I am leaving ZimPF. No, I will play an advisory role in the party as an elder,’’ he said.

He denied that he railroaded other members of his party to contest the by-election saying ZimPF made a resolution to contest.

‘’There is no other ZimPF guru in Masvingo other than the gurus in the national leadership. The party as a whole, led by its national leadership, made a resolution to take part in the Bikita West election and we implemented the resolution,’’ he said.

He argued that the over 2 000 votes amassed by ZimPF were not a poor performance considering that his party was less than two years old. Mr Gopo said Rtd Colonel Makova had promised to leave active politics before the Bikita West by-election.

‘’I have heard reports about his (Rtd Colonel Makova) resignation, but we will know the exact position on Wednesday. All I can say is that he indicated long before this by-election that he wanted to quit active politics and become an ordinary card-carrying ZimPF member,’’ said Mr Gopo.

Rtd Colonel Makova served as Zanu-PF Bikita West Member of Parliament but lost the seat to Mr Heya Shoko who was then a member of the MDC-T in 2008.

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