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Joice Mujuru

George Maponga in Masvingo—
Embattled Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) is reportedly battling to set up new fully-fledged structures here owing to lack of support, amid indications that the party was poised for a thorough hiding from zanu-pf in next month’s Mwenezi East parliamentary by-election. ZimPF is trying to build new structures in the province following an en-masse departure by most of its members who defected to the National People’s Party formed by former ZimPF leader Dr Joice Mujuru after an acrimonious separation with her erstwhile colleagues.

Dr Mujuru founded NPP following an implosion in ZimPF that saw her firing founding members, among them Messers Didymus Mutasa, Rugare Gumbo and Kudakwashe Bhasikiti.

The trio, together with other members, in turn fired counter-expelled the ex-Vice President, forcing her to form her own outfit. ZimPF has found the going tough in Masvingo, with the party failing to fully constitute its provincial structures ahead of the Mwenezi East by-election set for April 8.

Businessman Cde Joosbi Omar of zanu-pf will square up against Mr Bhasikiti from ZimPF, Mr Welcome Masuku of NCA and Mr Turner Mhango of Free Zimbabwe Congress. Sources within ZimPF said its campaign programme in Mwenezi East was being hampered by the absence of fully-fledged provincial structures in Masvingo.

It has emerged that ZimPF recently failed to fully constitute its provincial executive after members shunned its provincial council meeting. The meeting saw Mr Silas Dandira being elected new party chair for Masvingo, while various posts in the executive were left unoccupied.

Mr Dandira could not be reached for comment yesterday as he was not answering his phone. Mr Bhasikiti refused to comment on the issue, referring all questions to Mr Gumbo, who was also not picking his phone.

“I am not the best person to comment about that (vacant positions in ZimPF Masvingo provincial structures),” he said. “You should talk to Mr Gumbo who is the spokesperson.”

ZimPF is set to get its stern electoral test in Mwenezi East, where a by-election will be held to fill a vacancy created after the death of zanu-pf National House of Assembly member Cde Joshua Moyo in December last year.

zanu-pf has already hit the ground campaigning, with the ruling party gearing for a landslide victory. The main duel in the by-election is expected to be between Cde Omar and Mr Bhasikiti, who is a former Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister and ex-legislator for the constituency.

Mr Bhasikiti recently said his party was not going to hold campaign rallies ahead of the Mwenezi East by-election, claiming the move was strategic to protect his supporters from zanu-pf.

But observers said the main reason the party shunned campaign rallies was because it does not have support in the area and feared to be exposed ahead of the by-election.