Zimpapers Logo

Lovemore Chikova Assistant Editor
The expulsions and counter-expulsions by rival factions in the Zimbabwe People First party led by Joice Mujuru this week did not come as a surprise, especially to those who have been following events in the ill-fated outfit since its launch in March last year.

The first augury was that it was formed out of bitterness.

As a result, so many conflicting characters ended up making the interim top leadership of the party, and this resulted in the group failing to click, as shown by the expulsions, counter-expulsions and resignations.

Mujuru’s side-kicks expelled together with her from Zanu-PF, and disgruntled members from MDC-T, Zapu, Mavambo Kusile Dawn and other political parties made up the majority of its senior membership.

The party could be likened to a pudding of mixed fruits which one can take at the risk of having a running stomach.

What was clear from the beginning was that this bitterness would sooner, rather than later, be turned against each other.

Many stories had been written about the other members of the party like Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo persuading Mujuru to come in the open and announce the formation of the party.

Whatever strategy she had, Mujuru appeared as if she was not interested in forming a political party in her name.

When she eventually agreed to, it was clear that the likes of Mutasa and Gumbo still regarded ZimPF as their baby.

A week after its formation, ZimPF was already divided because those who thought they were influential founding members were relegated to what was named the Elders Advisory Council.

This council was reserved for those above 70 years and Mutasa, then 81 and Gumbo at 76, suddenly found themselves out of reach of the party’s levers of power.

In the meantime, they were convinced that were it not for their persuasion, Mujuru could not have had the guts to form ZimPF.

Article 30 of the party’s draft constitution became a major bone of contention.

It reads: “There shall be an Elders’ Advisory Council of the party, which shall be an affiliate of the party and shall be constituted of not less than two (2) and not more than eleven (11) members who are appointed by the president.

“The Elders’ Advisory Council shall not have any right to vote on any matter affecting the party and may only act in an advisory role.”

Angered by this snubbing, the likes of Mutasa and Gumbo began to put in motion ways of doing away with Mujuru.

In April 2016, barely a month after the party’s formation, Mujuru started discrediting herself in the eyes of her colleagues by courting MDC-T’s Morgan Tsvangirai for a coalition.

Questions were now being asked on her pedigree to stand on her own in the political arena.

If Mujuru was not courageous enough to lead her own political outift without help from other quarters, why then did she form it? others started asking.

In the same month, reports of bitter divisions started surfacing in the doomed political outfit, indicating that senior officials were actually plotting to unseat Mujuru.

One report indicated that the party could actually split before it even held its inaugural congress to elect a substantive leadership.

Former ministers Sylvester Nguni and Bright Matonga were said to be the main trouble makers.

Gumbo, who spoke on behalf of the party then, admitted they faced major problems and divisions.

Troubles mounted for Mujuru when scores of her supporters besieged her house in Chisipite, Harare, accusing party officials – Nguni, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, Gumbo and Matonga -of blocking them from meeting Mujuru.

Rowdy party youths were then reported to have confronted Mujuru, demanding that she show some respect to Mutasa.

In the meantime, in Bulawayo in June 2016, infighting was reported in the party’s structures in the province leading to a vote of no confidence being passed in the provincial coordinator, Esnath Bulayani.

At national level, reports of Gumbo and Mutasa putting pressure on Mujuru to give them some posts increased.

In the midst of that, the party’s interim youth leader Jim Kunaka dropped a bombshell by resigning from party and announcing that he was going back to Zanu-PF.

He cited Mujuru’s “poor leadership qualities”.

Mujuru’s top allies Jabulani Sibanda, Gumbo and Mutasa then boycotted the party’s first rally she addressed in Bulawayo.

This was widely viewed as a show of their unhappiness with the direction the party was taking.

The first casualty of the ZimPF squabbles was Matonga, who was expelled in October last year without any disciplinary procedures after being accused of spying.

In the same month, Mujuru admitted there were bitter divisions in the party.

Addressing mourners, mainly party members, at the burial of provincial spokesperson Retired Colonel Kudzai Mbudzi in Masvingo, Mujuru appealed for unity in the beleaguered party.

The party’s dismal performance in the Bikita West by-election last month, coupled with Mujuru’s push for a coalition with MDC-T, seems to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Masvingo provincial leader Retired Colonel Claudius Makova announced he was quitting, while taking responsibility for pushing for participation in the by-election.

The party had been haggling over whether or not to take part in polls prior to the Bikita West by-election, but somehow and with the backing of the Group of Elders, Rtd Col Makova had his way.

The tables also turned against Mujuru following the by-election defeat, with party leaders in Masvingo describing her as a “weak and indecisive” leader because of the way she handled her party’s participation.

In his resignation letter from the party this week, Mr Nguni confirmed all was not well from the beginning.

“I was left with no choice, but to leave the party as it was clear to me the leadership did not see things the same way and would not change in their ways,” he wrote. “Dialogue was not given a chance and a party is torn asunder.”

Nguni said it was fundamental that leaders and people in general should be able to deal with disagreements by following a process.

“Here we have two sides in ZimPF that have clearly shown that they do not subscribe to the view that correct structures can and should deal with opposing views,” he said.

“We are now observing how destructive it can be when political leaders cannot tolerate opposing views. I refuse to take sides in the current ZimPF dispute because the real problem is that a proper process has not been followed now or before on numerous occasions by either side.

“I pointed out this to both sides as I was in charge of administration and the secretariat of the party, but to no avail.”

ZimPF spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire also confirmed that all was not well in the party for a long time, as some of its members were being accused of working with Zanu-PF.

He said Mutasa and his gang were expelled by Mujuru based on well a documented anti-ZimPF behaviour since the party was launched.

This included opposition to a coalition with MDC-T, claims of ownership of the party, opposition to a convention to choose a substantive leadership, failure to attend rallies, scuttling of meetings to discuss the constitution and nostalgia for Zanu-PF, he said.

What happened this week was therefore a matter of time and timing. It was all written on the wall in bold letters.