Source: Mujuru’s NPP readies for congress – DailyNews Live
Mugove Tafirenyika 23 May 2017
HARARE – Joice Mujuru’s opposition National People’s Party (NPP) is set to
hold its elective convention in Harare next month.
While her spokesperson, Gift Nyandoro, could not reveal the exact date of
the fledgling party’s inaugural congress “for strategic and security
reasons”, he told the Daily News that the rallies NPP is currently holding
were “in preparation for the big event”.
“All is in place for the convention…where the party’s substantive
leadership will be elected as we prepare not only for the grand coalition
to finally become a reality, but also as we prepare for the watershed
polls next year where we will teach (President Robert) Mugabe a few
electoral lessons,” he said.
“I cannot disclose the…venue of the convention but suffice to say that
it’s all systems go now,” Nyandoro said, adding that “NPP structures are
ready”.
With opposition parties under mounting pressure from supporters to form an
electoral alliance against Mugabe and his Zanu PF, there have been
concerns that NPP’s leadership is interim.
Mujuru left the Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) party to form NPP following
irreconcilable differences with the former’s founding elders – Didymus
Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo – early this year.
The move towards a convention has been interpreted by observers as meant
to consolidate power in her new party after she recently put together a
10-member committee to organise the elective congress.
Addressing the NPP interim national executive members last month, Mujuru
said the committees should coordinate and supervise preparations for the
convention through regular meetings, updates and follow ups.
“We want a successful convention which will be a big step towards the
Zimbabwe people want. We are in the final leg. Let us pull together. Our
competitors want to believe that we are a joke. They are in for a shock,”
she said.
“Your task is to consolidate the party and lead us to a successful
elective convention. So far we have excelled.
“Our provincial elective conferences were a resounding success, with no
resources to talk about. Other parties got huge sums of money but they
have failed to deliver. We are on the road and have defied odds. That is
the hallmark of a people’s party. I am very proud of what we have done so
far,” she said.
Mujuru – who is personally shepherding the coalition talks with Tsvangirai
– has since assigned “technocrats”, her two deputies Samuel Sipepa-Nkomo
and John Mvundura, along with NPP national chairperson Dzikamai Mavhaire
to handle negotiations with other opposition parties, including Tendai
Biti’s PDP.
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