AS the ownership wrangle continues to rock ZimPF with interim Joice Mujuru tussling with a group of fellow founding party elders, the former Vice President has since boasted she was in fact the brand behind the Zanu PF offshoot.

Mujuru last week brew a shocker by firing from her party, seven of her comrades, among them former state security minister Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo.

She accused them of undermining the party’s efforts to gain traction within the country’s dog-eat-dog political terrain.

During a Provincial Executive Committee meeting held at a Masvingo on Sunday, Mujuru said when she fired the seven, those who decided to resign in protest over the move wrote and addressed her as President, putting paid to any doubts she was party leader.

“When we fired those seven, it was not like they were the only troublesome ones. No! We knew they had a following and we knew through our move heads would roll. So as you have witnessed, many others have left but surprisingly, who are they addressing their resignation letters to?

“All the letters are being addressed to Mujuru. So why do they want to say I am not their leader when everyone else is recognising me as a leader. I think those guys are confused,” Mujuru said to loud cheers from her loyalists.

The former Zanu PF number two also said her new party was not started by a few but the majority.

“When we started ZimPF, it already had a big following and leadership only came as a loud speaker to a party that was already there. Such a revelation shows that ZimPF did not start with three or four people,” Mujuru said.

“ZimPF had already started with the majority of people. Comments coming from non-political organisations show that the move had already been delayed. If you listen as well from other political parties you will realise we had done bad for the people.”

Also among those expelled by Mujuru were Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, Claudius Makova, Margaret Dongo, Munacho Mutezo and Luckson Kandemiri.

The alleged Chirenje faction was also followed by their sympathisers soon after their expulsions and being represented by Bhasikiti in several radio interviews, they have vowed that Mujuru was their subordinate and cannot overtake the party’s name and brand.

Blasting the “chunhu chedu” jibe, Mujuru said supporters have confirmed that she was the brand behind the party.

“You here the Gumbo’s and Mutasa’s saying hee chinhu chedu, chinhu chedu (our thing), do they have a following or confirmation from supporters?

“People told me that I am the brand behind the party. Upon hearing that, our differences sky rocketed. That is when I even realised they want to use me as the emphasised on working with no clear position of how things will be run in the party,” she further said.

Meanwhile, Bhasikiti and Rosewitta Madzivire have vowed to contest in the Mwenezi East and Masvingo RDC Ward 12 by-elections, respectively, using the ZimPF banner. Radiovop