HARARE – Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly instructed his his ruling Zanu-PF party to mend relations with former party stalwarts who were axed by former president Robert Mugabe four years ago.
According to Daily News, the former Zanu-PF cadres, who were likely to be invited back into the party were former vice president Joice Mujuru, and several other liberation veterans who included Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo.
Zanu-PF’s secretary for administration, Obert Mpofu confirmed the reports, saying the plans were now at an advanced staged.
“The process is on now, we are overwhelmed by comrades who are willing to come back. We are currently working on that and we will be coming with a position soon. We are saying comrades must come back and the president wants all to come back to the party and help in the building of our country,” Mpofu was quoted as saying.
Some of the expelled Zanu-PF members also confirmed being approached by the party.
But according to Mpofu many of the former Zanu-PF members were approaching the party themselves.
Various charges
This came at least four years after AFP reported that Mujuru, Mutasa, Gumbo as well other top party officials were expelled from Zanu-PF on various charges, including plotting to topple the then president Mugabe in 2014.
In a separate report Daily News said that Mutasa and Gumbo had indicated some months ago that they were ready to rejoin the party but were waiting to be “invited back”.
A former Zanu-PF secretary for administration and state security minister under Mugabe’s administration, Mutasa said the Zanu-PF party was doing well under Mnangagwa’s leadership.
It remained unclear whether Mujuru would rejoin her former party after reports in recent weeks suggested that her new party, the National People’s Party (NPP), was on the verge of collapse, as a number of senior party leaders resigned after the party failed to impress in the just ended polls.
According to New Zimbabwe.com, NPP’s vice president Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, national chairperson Dzikamai Mavhaire and the party’s spokesperson Jeffreyson Chitando were among those who left the party.
In their resignation letters, the former NPP senior leaders said they were unable to continue working with Mujuru.
