via War vets endorse Mujuru as president of PF – The Zimbabwean 2.9.2015
A group of local and foreign-based former ZIPRA cadres on Saturday endorsed former Vice President Joice Mujuru to lead the Movement for People’s First project.
The Movement for People’s First project is a political pressure group formed by firebrand war veteran Margret Dongo early last month. Dongo and a group of other seven former freedom fighters, including Max Mkandla and Bernard Manyadza, on May 6 2015 approached Mujuru at her Ruzambo farm in Beatrice and invited her to lead a new political party to dislodge power from Zanu (PF) at the 2018 elections.
According to minutes of the meeting dubbed “Ruzambo declarations”, the former vice president agreed to lead the new political formation – whose sole mandate is to organise and work towards democratically taking over the reins of political power from Zanu (PF) through free and fair elections.
Following Mujuru’s consent to lead the party, a group of locally-based and war veterans in the diaspora met on Saturday in Bulawayo at a secret place and gave Mujuru a thumbs up to lead the new party – but on condition that certain principles are adhered to.
No to the name
“One of the major resolutions of the meeting was that we should do away with the name Zanu (PF) and stick to the name Movement for People‘s First. The comrades made it clear that if the likes of Didymus Mutasa and other Zanu (PF) colleagues insist on the inclusion of the word Zanu in this new project they will not get support from anyone because the word Zanu has got some connotations of very bad things,” said Max Mkandla, one of the ex–combatants who attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Mkandla said while all the participants overwhelmingly endorsed Mujuru, some had serious misgivings about the characters of other former Zanu (PF) leaders spearheading the People’s First project.
“We respect and salute Mujuru for the courage and guts to apologise to the nation for being part of a system that has ruined this country. We believe she has the wisdom and experience to lead us in our project. However we are concerned and alarmed with the characters of People First drivers who remains obsessed with Zanu (PF). As I speak, some are still fighting in courts to get back to Zanu (PF). How then do you trust such people?” asked Mkandla, apparently referring to Kudakwashe Bhasikiti and Mutasa whose challenges to be readmitted in Zanu (PF) were recently thrown out by the courts.
Fully-fledged party
Mkandla said the meeting, chaired by prominent Botswan- based war veteran, Destroyer Mvelasi also resolved to maintain the current name, Movement for People‘s First in the interim until a more acceptable name by all stakeholders have been agreed upon.
“In the meantime, we resolved that this project should be a political pressure group in waiting to be a fully-fledged party. Before transforming this project into a political party, we want to make sure that more people would have been mobilised to join,” he said.
According to Mkandla, the main target of the pressure group include former Zanu (PF) members purged from the party , members of civil society and disgruntled members of the opposition parties.
He said the Bulawayo meeting also recommended war veteran Bernard Manyadza to be the party’s national chairman.
“We strongly believe in people themselves inviting leaders to take positions – unlike the current situation where politicians invite people to their political parties. As the pressure group grows, we are going to invite more respected citizens to take positions in the organisation,” Mkandla added.
COMMENTS
OH BOY, YET ANOTHER PARTY TO SPLIT THE VOTE……..
IS THERE NOT A GLIMMER OF LIGHT AT THE END OF THIS VERY LONG TUNNEL, SURELY ALL THESE EGOS CAN BAND TOGETHER AND ENTER INTO A MEANINGFUL ELECTION AND SORT THE PROBLEM OUT FOR ONCE AND FOR ALL?
I agree Michelle . Not another party . Only this time the next party that is to be formed will be a party consisting of Indian, whites ,mixed race people and blacks notably Zimbabweans naturally. So for those that do not like what is to happen soon that’s your problem.
Any political party that may be formed now or in the future will always work to the advantage of ZANU PF and will make it easier for ZANU PF to rig the elections. MDK nad MDC M them split the results and Mugabe rigged to get a 43% when all evidence was there that he never garnered more than 10%. In as much as its personal ego for war veterans to form a movement or pressure group, as long as its a new thing will work in favor of Mugabe and ZANU PF. The only good way of doing it is that all different political parties or pressure groups define their enemy number one and then fight the enemy from one pool and banish ZANU PF from rigging. MDC-T, MDK, MDC-N, ZAPU of Dabengwa, Mangomana and Biti or Mujuru/Dongo now, they are very good people perhaps with the intention of seolving demise of Zimbabweans in the hand of ZANU PF and MUgabe in particular. My challenge with all these people is that, they were intimately ZANU PF at some point and they never shouted at Mugabe or their policies. They only feature prominently after MDC under Tsvangirai and Gibson Sibanda. These two are tested and tried to be courageous and progressive. Why can all of them gather around one banner, elect a leader and fight ZANU PF from one camp. Zimbabwe is very beautiful, and rich in no time thwy will all have made their names, and rich and depart from politics and then other leaders will follow, if they will follow and progess after enemy ZANU PF
No to whatever movement or pressure group, that will be arsenal in Mugabe’s hands to rig elections
I TOTALLY AGREE, WE HAVE AMAZING BRAINS, IE WELSHMAN NCUBE, TENDAI BITI, SIMBA MAKONI AND NOONE WANTS TO WORK TOGETHER? SURELY IF THEIR PRIORITY IS TO RULE ZIMBABWE IN A TRANSPARENT WAY THEY COULD WORK AS A TEAM?
SO FAR THESE SPLITS HAVE ONLY SERVED TO MAKE OUR LIVES MORE DIFFICULT, BECAUSE COUNTING VOTES DESERVES DANGER PAY FOR THOSE BRAVE SOULS WHO ATTEND THE VOTING BOOTHS DURING ELECTIONS, UNITED IT WOULD CLEARLY BE BETTER?
These so called WAR vets are a pathetic people really. If they really went to war they should be asking themselves why real people, real Zimbabweans haven’t taken arms to fight them for true freedom? are not for progress. Why do they think they have a Devine right to rule Zimbabwe? Liberation war was not fought by those with guns or those who were in Mozambique, NO. The war was fought by and financed by ordinary village people. Ordinary people provided supplies “food or clothes”. For them to think that only liberation credentials qualifies one for leadership is hokum and satanic. Because Zanu PF or any other name that ex-zanu pf people can chose cannot win a fair election. Which means these morons still want to terrorise voters under this “THEM FIRST” that they fake as people first.
I have always said that Zimbos have no idea what Nationalism or Patriotism mean. None at all.
Everyone wants to be King, and bugger the rest. Zanooo only holds together (sort of) because it is a Criminal Organisation and they unite to steal from the nation.
I am sick of the Whore Vets because I remember the terrible things they did to the rural povo. I think 30,000 killed? Also its now 35 years since the war ended.
I also don’t think these ex-Zanoids like Mujuru and DidiMouse should ever be let near power. A leopard does not change its spots and these are all just thugs and crooks who preyed on the people when they could