By A Correspondent- Taurai Chiripamberi and James Kaunye, who defected to former Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First party have pleaded with Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF party for forgiveness.
This announcement was made during the party’s provincial co-ordinating committee (PCC) meeting held in Mutare last week
The PCC meeting was attended by Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa, provincial chairperson Mike Madiro and former Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa.
The same meeting also announced the coming back of Zanu PF former youth leader Kudzanai Chipanga.
“The issue of Kudzi Chipanga and others was tabled at the PCC meeting and in his remarks, comrade Patrick Chinamasa noted that if Chipanga was endorsed in his Makoni district, then the province had no objection. The province had no objection,” said a party official, who refused to be named.
Another source weighed in saying the names would now be forwarded to the politburo for consideration.
Madiro said he was not at liberty to disclose the names of those cleared to rejoin the party, adding that it was an internal process.
“Yes, we had a PCC, but on the issues of the names, it’s an internal process and I am not at liberty to disclose the names of the people concerned, which are forwarded to the party leadership for consideration,” he said. “Yes, as Zanu PF, we have names of people who have applied to be re-admitted to the party because they are happy with the vision of the party.”
Chipanga was fired by Zanu PF in 2017 together with several other members aligned to the G40 cabal at the height of Zanu PF factional fights.
Before G40 was dramatically ousted by Team Lacoste which staged a grand come-back, powered by the military, Chipanga had vowed to rally behind Grace Mugabe whom he claimed was as good as his own biological mother, before further alleging that Chatunga was equally as good as his own blood young brother.
Addressing journalists in Harare just a week before the army declared war on former President Mugabe and his G40 cabal, Chipanga who was at the time the Zanu PF youth league secretary said they had started lobbying other party structures to dump Mnangagwa and replace him with Grace. Mnangagwa was still the country’s Vice President.
“The Zanu PF youth league is fully behind the secretary for women’s affairs, Dr Amai Grace Mugabe, in calling for the urgent removal of Cde Mnangagwa from the position of Vice-President both in the party and government. That position is a straitjacket and must be handed back to the women’s league,” Chipanga said while declaring that Mnangagwa should be fired and be immediately replaced by Mugabe’s second wife, Grace.
Zanu PF is currently re-admitting its expelled members and also taking in disgruntled opposition supporters in preparation for the 2023 elections.
— NewsDay