By Jane Mlambo| Self-exiled former Tourism minister Walter Mzembi who recently launched his own party named People’s Party is in the eye of a storm after another movement Zimbabwe People’s Party wrote to the flamboyant politician complaining over stolen identity.

Mzembi was appointed interim leader of People’s Party deputized by Godfrey Gandiwa, the former deputy minister of higher and tertiary education during the late former leader Robert Mugabe era.

In the letter, Jaison Midzi who is ZPP Director of Information and Publicity said Mzembi’s party did not do its research to avoid taking names, colors and logo that similar to theirs.

Below is part of the letter;

“We note with concern, the use of part of our name by your new political formation which you and your team decided to call People’s Party (PP). We take this to be poor political practice which will definitely affect the voters in any future elections that our party ZPP and your new part PP will participate in future. Use of similar names, logo colors and letterhead concepts as you and your team adopted is not the best way to go in politics especially when you want voters to have clear choices of candidates on a ballot paper.

“We note that our party Zimbabwe People’s Party entered Zimbabwe’s political scene in June 2019 while you party People’s Party entered the scene in November 2019. I also note that our party, Zimbabwe People’s Party completed notification in October before your formation came into being.

“We note that before forming our party, Zimbabwe People’s Party we took our time as founders and directors to do a thorough search physically in books and all media both social and formal for any name that would have been close to ours. As a party which is serious about change in Zimbabwe we felt it was within good political practice to ensure that voters are not put at risk of confusion due to similar names that are close to one another and also logo colours that come close to one another. It’s that kind of search which we thought you and your team would have done to ensure that we comply with globally acceptable and honest political practice. We also think that had you done a careful search you would have been able to see that you were taking a name and colours that were close to ours.”