(Last Updated on February 10, 2016 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – vice president Joice Mujuru held talks with disgruntled Zanu PF and MDC members in Harare at the weekend as she steps up efforts to form her own political party following her ouster from Zanu PF last year.
Mujuru is reportedly leading efforts to form the People First (PF) political party ahead of the next general elections which are scheduled for 2018.
Leaked photos from the Harare meeting suggest that Mujuru could be secretly setting up structures across the country ahead of the polls.
Three prominent Zanu PF activists Leanord Mathuthu, Tafirenyika Seremani who was suspended last year alongside Andrew Langa and another only identified as Darlington Ndlovu as well as Gwanda Residents Association Chairman Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo previously with the Welshman Ncube led MDC appear in a group picture taken at the Harare meeting.
The local politicians are seated alongside former ruling party heavyweights Mujuru, Rugare Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa, as well as Dzikamai Mavhaire.
Mathuthu contested the 2008 parliamentary elections and lost in Gwanda North.
Although Maduma has not confirmed joining PF, sources indicate he was among officials summoned to Harare to drum up support for Mujuru in Matabeleland South ahead of polls to be held in two years’ time.
Maduma’s recent Facebook post also suggests that he could be on his way to the Mujuru camp.
“For the record, Madam Mujuru narrated the motivation and direction of the proposed new dispensation she would like us to follow.
We raised all our issues as a region from the Gukurahundi era through the years of marginalisation, suspected election rigging right up to our cry for the devolution of power and principled democratic leadership,” wrote Maduma on his Facebook wall.
He added: “An issue I wish we could realise as a region is that Mujuru’s project has attracted a lot of buy in from our people on the ground.
“Our people want 2018 to be the definite time that Zanu PF goes and for whatever reason we may want to know they believe that Mujuru is finally that person they have been waiting for to topple Zanu PF.”
Mujuru and several ministers as well as senior Zanu PF officials were fired from the party and government after being accused of plotting a coup against President Robert Mugabe.
The former vice president has however denied the allegations.