(Last Updated on October 29, 2015 by Editor)
Jim Kunaka, former Zanu PF Harare provincial youth leader, who is now linked to Mujuru’s People First (PF) project, said Mujuru’s silence was a political strategy.
Responding to allegations by former Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial chairman, Temba Mliswa that PF was rocked by internal squabbles and that Mujuru was being forced to take charge of the movement, Kunaka said the former VP had a different approach to politics.
“Mujuru is a guerilla, a war veteran and she definitely knows what she is doing. Her silence is our strategy. Silence doesn’t mean she is a coward. She will speak when the time comes,” he said.
Kunaka was flanked by Setfree Mafukidze and Tenson Kumbula and the trio claimed to be representing the PF youth league.
Mujuru and several Zanu PF bigwigs were purged from the ruling party last year on allegations of plotting to oust President Robert Mugabe.
The disgruntled members are now linked to PF, a political movement reportedly headed by Mujuru to challenge Mugabe in the 2018 general elections. However, Mujuru has not openly declared herself the leader of the political outfit.
Quizzed on whether Mujuru was really the leader of PF, Kunaka said: “Do you have evidence where Mujuru has said she is not the leader of PF?”
He added: “Leaders come from the people, we are still organising our structures. We will launch the party soon and that is when you will hear her speak.”
Kunaka said many PF supporters were not yet coming out in the open because they were aware that they were dealing with a “dangerous” system (Zanu PF).
Kunaka accused Mliswa of being used by Zanu PF to destabilise PF and kill its prospects to form a coalition with other political parties ahead of the 2018 elections, but warned this would not succeed.
Mliswa, Kunaka said, was never part of PF, but tried in vain to “usurp the leadership of our youth wing through his so-called Youth Advocacy for Electoral Democracy (Yard)”.
Kunaka denied that there were squabbles in the PF camp between spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti and Jabulani Sibanda.
“We understand the desperation that has crept into Zanu PF emanating from the imminent launch of PF party, hence the frantic efforts to rope in politically unstable characters like Mliswa to purvey lies about perceived divisions that only exist in their infertile imaginations,” he said.
“We are not going to be part to Mliswa’s envisaged militia training that he purports will be for self-defence and for this reason, we have refused to work with him on his project nor to have him as a member of our youth wing.”
He said PF would pursue non-violent means internally, regionally and internationally in order to uphold the ideals of a democratic society, the reason why he had apologised for being involved in “Zanu PF cult politics”.