Zanu PF members have dismissed as “hopeless”, a new political outfit called the New Patriotic Front (NPF) linked to ousted party members said to be part of the Generation 40 (G40) faction of the ruling party.
Zanu PF Central Committee member, Joseph Tshuma and ruling party activist Believe Gaule told VOA Studio 7 that the NPF is a group of losers, who will not influence people to vote against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government in the forthcoming general elections.
“These are day dreamers and losers. They are just wasting their time. Though they have a right to run a political party or any entity of their choice, they seem to be directionless and are bound to fail,” said Tshuma, who is also a Member of Parliament for Pelandaba-Mpopoma.
His views were echoed by Gaule, who described the group as “hopeless and attempting to derail the good works of President Mnangagwa. In short, they are just a like a dead donkey.”
Indications are that the NPF in the brainchild of former Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo, former Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and former Indigenization and Youth Minister Patrick Zhuwao, who fled when the Zimbabwe Defence Forces seized key state institutions last November and put then President Robert Mugabe under house arrest saying they wanted to remove all people surrounding him.
The military claimed that Mugabe’s capacity to rule was being constrained by so-called G40 members, who included then First Lady Grace Mugabe. Mrs. Mugabe allegedly wanted to succeed her 93 year-old husband.
The New Patriotic Front has petitioned the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) urging the two bodies to shun Mnangagwa’s government, saying he forcibly removed Mugabe in conjunction with the military.
In a detailed document, NPF said SADC and the AU were misled by Mngangagwa and the military, which intervened to “flush out criminals” surrounding former president Robert Mugabe, in concluding that there was no coup in Zimbabwe.
The NPF’s document read in part: ““The New Patriot Front - a political formation established in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Zimbabwe - writes to you to bring to your attention the extraordinary, unconstitutional, illegitimate and abnormal situation that exists in Zimbabwe today, as a direct result of the military coup that took place in the country on November 15, 2017.”
The petition is addressed to AU chairperson, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, his predecessor, President Alpha Conde (Guinea) and SADC chairperson President Jacob Zuma of South Africa.
There has been no comment from the AU, SADC Kagame, Conde and Zuma.