Kudakwashe Bhasikiti
Upenyu Chaota
The Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) party, which has been reported to have split again over leadership wrangle after the appointment of Ambassador Agrippa Mutambara as the interim president, has dismissed the reports as malicious, saying they were united and there was no bad blood at all.
ZimPF recently hogged the limelight all for the wrong reasons once again after the alleged imposition of the interim executive by one faction allegedly led by former Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, a move which was later shot down by another faction allegedly led by party elders Rugare Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa.
The Mutasa and Gumbo faction, through their alleged spokesperson Patrick Chitaka, was quick to dismiss the appointments and claimed Bhasikiti and Mutambara had fired themselves from ZimPF.
Speaking to TellZim News soon after a steering committee meeting at the party’s headquarters in Harare on Monday, Bhasikiti, who was appointed secretary for administration in the interim executive, said there were no divisions in their party and everyone was behind the elevation of Mutambara as the new leader.
He said the claims by Chitaka were mere jokes which were misconstrued by the media.
“People say ZimPF has split again because of the appointment of the interim executive which is very disturbing to hear. We are very united and we just got out from a meeting with our elder Gumbo and Mutasa whom they say are leading a faction.
“Nothing of that sort was ever said by them. You seem to have listened to Chitaka’s joke and got swayed by it. How could you just listen to any story?” said Bhasikiti
He said there were no divisions within the party and Mutambara will steer the party to its congress.
“We do not have factions but our detractors want it to appear as such. Both Gumbo and Mutasa support the interim executive and Mutambara will be the president till the party’s congress,” said Bhasikiti.politics