By- Zanu PF has disowned its terror group, Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (FAZ), saying it’s a stand-alone entity that has nothing to do with the ruling party.

Zanu PF uses FAZ to intimidate people in the rural areas.

The terror grouping emerged ahead of the August 2023 harmonised elections and frog-marched rural voters, forcing them to vote for Zanu PF at the same period terrorising opposition CCC supporters.

Zanu PF national political commissar Mike Bimha said just like the other 94 ruling party affiliates, FAZ applied for and was accorded affiliate status after expressing interest to aid the Zanu PF campaign drive as a stand-alone organisation ahead of the August harmonised elections.

During a press conference at a Masvingo hotel where Bimha spoke about this weekend’s councils and National Assembly by-elections, he was responding to a question from journalists who wanted to know the relationship between Zanu PF and FAZ.

”I think if you recall, one of the developments, recent developments in Zanu PF campaigning was the emergence of affiliates (before this year’s elections) and this contributed immensely to our success because there were people, in their various persuasions, who felt comfortable to work as affiliates rather than coming in under the (Zanu PF) Youth League or Women’s League. That is why you found Teachers 4ED, Nurses 4ED, you found a whole range, even Rastas 4ED, who felt that they had something to offer coming to support the developments, people who felt comfortable working with Zanu PF,” said Bimha.

He said the fires of affiliates in Zanu PF were first stocked following the formation of Young Women for ED which he branded a ”champion affiliate”.
”The real champion was the Young Women 4ED because when it started and emerged, the issue of Zanu PF affiliates spread like veld fire,” said Bimha.