An undisclosed number of Zimbabwe People First Party members, have signed a petition declaring their lack of confidence on party leader Joice Mujuru and her interim executive committee.
In a petition addressed to Mujuru and her executive, the party members raised a number of party administrative issues they claim have not been addressed. As a solution to the issues, the party members have recommended that the party’s “founding fathers Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo should immediately take over the running of the party,” a declaration that Mujuru has failed to run the party.
“We are humbly requesting that the founding elders take over the party activities because those in interim positions are only doing best to position themselves instead of driving our party.
Can we have Honourable Mutasa, Maka, Bhasikiti and Gumbo taking active roles as they are the visionaries of our movement,” read part of the petition.
Amongst issues raised in the controversial document is factionalism which has threatened to tear the new party apart. The organisation which is led by predominantly by ruling ZANU PF discards, had has done very well at its inception, attracting huge support, but a few months later, is now faced with a difficult task of integrating the former ZANU PF members with former opposition members.
The strife has forced the party to find itself being run by parallel structures with the former opposition parties members refusing to be led by some former ZANU PF supporters who they accuse of being soiled by their previous activities during their ZANU PF days.
Amongst the many other issues the party members are demanding for the party to provide the provincial and district coordinators with airtime.
The full unedited petition reads as follows in full:
“We hereby humbly submit the following for your action.
PARTY SUPPORTERS CONCERNS @ZPF
1. COMMUNICATION:
Who is responsible for responding to our concerns? Many a time we have no one responds to our concerns. May you kindly clarify our channel of communication to the Secrétariat.
2. REGULAR UPDATES: STATE OF AFFAIRS.
What is our current position and progress, since the Press Conference? We need a state of affairs report across all platforms.
PARTY LAUNCH/CONGRESS
1. Are we still going to launch the party as scheduled? ( 3 months from Press Conference as planned).
2. We need to start making plans to come, those in Diaspora inclusive
If we wait for all Zim to have structures for the party to be launched then its unfortunate time is running out we wll have no time to campaign 2018 is good as next year
3. CONSTITUTION
How do we channel our concerns with regards to constitution before its adoption?
4. RESOURCES FOR COORDINATOR IN ZIM .
We have been sacrificing our resources including time to build structures but we can sacrifice to a certain extent, there are times we need airtime for coordinating meetings, money to move from place to place, those who where in the mdc at its inception will agree with me that all monies where prioritized pa ground. For as long as that is not considered we shall remain stagnant.
We are kindly asking for sustainable provision of airtime ( and gadgets if possible) for our coordinators if possible. Could Honourable Mvundura lobby for support from Diaspora Provinces? Each Diaspora Chapter could adopt one or 2 local Provinces to help with airtime and hard gets in order to improve communication.
5. IT DEPARTMENT
a) We are kindly asking to know who is managing our IT department for easy communication.
Tirikungonzwa kuti a team is being put together, but we were hoping to see a notice asking any of us if we can help. but nothing came up that why?
Newspaper articles since vaGumbo vabviswa have become so scarce.
b) We requesting for the setting up of ZPF party website to improve communication with the public.
C) Facebook Pages need to link up and communicate with one voice and at the same level.
d) We are requesting for establishment of party offices to increase Electrorate confidence in us.
e) Membership Cards: When are they coming? What is stalling card production?
f) Do we have a membership Data base? We must have a database of all those members for planing purposes and resource allocation.
g) Who is our Spokesman? Many a time we have heard different statements coming from different individuals who are not Honourable Moyo.
RALLIES
The Principal held the press conference. Fine. We humbly suggest that the Principal hold at least one public rally in each province to convince the public of our existence.
5. GENERAL PROGRESS
It seems it is stalled since the Press Conference. We are moving at a slow pace ,hope that won’t kill the electorate confidence in our party.
The general people tired of Zanu and Mdc are eargerly waiting for ZPF. Unfortunately we have delayed more than enough and people are getting impatient and some are leaving us.
We are humbly requesting that the founding elders takeover the party activities because those in interim positions are only doing best to position themselves instead of driving our party
Can we have Honourable Mutasa, Maka Bhasikiti and Gumbo taking active roles as they are the visionaries of our movement?
6. GENERAL RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
What is being done to mobilise resources both locally and abroad? Have we lobbied for international support?
7. PARTY REGALIA
No T-shirts no cards,what identifies ZPF as of now? Only BUILD?
8. SUBSTANTIVE STRUCTURES
What is stopping the substantive structures from ward, constituency, and provinces rather than continuing appointing ppl as coordinators a post which is not in the constitution?
9. FIELDING OF CANDIDATES
One big issue which wil determine our survival in this political competition is on the fielding of contesting people in the electorate.
If ZPF fields person whose name has been soiled in the past and is appearing dirty in front of the voters, wen we field such candidate we wil embarass the party because unlike Zanu Pf we cant rig.
It is only Zanu who fields an unwanted candidate and he/she wins because of rigging. The point is in a free and fair election lets field clean candidates, please we dont want to play games with the suffering masses
10. OUTREACH PROGRAMS
Outreach programs are needed to explain our ideology especially the contents and Vision of the party as enshrined in BUILD and our Constitution..Outreach programs to Students, Civil organizations, Churches, even to our own constituencies
11. Diaspora builders are requesting for unconditional and unquestionable recognition.
Are they ever considered in decision making as our fellow Coordinator’s back home, that is is their input ever considered on anything happening in the party?
11. Like builders at home Diaspora builders want clear formal communique.
There has been no formal communication to Diaspora Chapters even in the form of feedback on vital issues. They say that they only hear these ZPF current news in the media or through the grapevine . They are made to feel like they playing second fiddle to builders at home. Like lesser builders. They feel they are building hard enough to be recognised as well?
14. UK is a very significant Province especially in terms of resource Mobilization. We are requesting our Management Team to deal with the U.K. Issue once and for all so that they can work together again.
15. We want constitutional amendments
Why is the Draft Constitution too salient on Diaspora Provinces?
16. PARALLEL STRUCTURES
The issue of parallel structures must be urgently deal with. It’s demoralising our builders
17. Posting pictures on Social media with the President.
What purpose does it serve?
Photos of the president addressing a rally, women, donating , farming or doing something productive are understandable. We party supporters need feedback from meetings and not pictures.
Every picture posted should serve a purpose in promoting the party and the president. How will other hardworking builders who have no access to the Principal feel?
Yours
ZPF Party supporters
Please acknowledge the receipt of our concerns by signing below
Honourable DNE Mutasa ………………
Date
Honourable J Gumbo……………….
Date
Honourable D Mavhaire ……………
Date
Honourable Matanhire…………..
Date
Honourable Bhasikiti ……………,
Date