(Last Updated on October 30, 2015 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – Former Zanu PF Harare youth chair and now People First politician, Jim Kunaka says ousted Vice President Joice Mujuru was deliberately keeping her political plans under wraps for fear of persecution by President Robert Mugabe’s ruthless regime.
Kunaka said this in Harare Wednesday where he also took time to lambast former Zanu PF Mashonaland West chair Temba Mliswa for claims People First politicians were squabbling over strategy.
She (Mujuru) is a guerrilla, there is no doubt; she is a war veteran, there is no doubt; she is a trained person. In Shona, we say hatigoni kupakura sadza mbodza (we cannot afford to pre-empt our strategy), said Kunaka.
Since her shock ouster from the ruling party December last year, Mujuru has kept her enemies guessing over her political future.
A surprise release of her manifesto last month which however had no People First logo was perhaps the clearest signal she was prepared to plunge into opposition politics.
But her critics have torn her apart for perceived cowardice evidenced through her overplay of background politics.
Kunaka defended the strategy saying the fledgling party will not follow the route of other parties that have opened themselves up to Zanu PF infiltration through announcing their strategies.
We are aware of all those tactics that Zanu PF can use to discredit our candidate, said the once feared Chipangano terror group leader.
We want our candidate to remain smart until the day of the launch and you will be shocked.
The system that we are dealing with is a very, very, very dangerous system. We must learn to protect our membership from being victimised by the CIO, soldiers etc.
The truth of the matter is that you cannot separate Zanu PF from a military wing. The time you declare yourself that I am People First they come after you.
You can be killed; you can disappear like what (Itai) Dzamara did.
Kunaka turned to Mliswa whom he described as an unstable politician who was out to torpedo the proposed coalition among opposition forces ahead of 2018.
Mliswa was quoted on state media saying PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and Kudakwashe Bhasikiti were constantly clashing over strategy with former war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda, another Mujuru ally.
Kunaka said such meetings are taking place only in the axed Hurungwe West MP’s dreams and imaginations.
We understand the desperation that has crept into Zanu PF emanating from the imminent launch of our People First party, hence the frantic efforts to rope in politically unstable characters like Mr Mliswa to purvey lies about perceived divisions that only exist in their infertile imaginations, Kunaka said.