adminDumisani Sibanda Sunday News Correspondent
ZIMBABWE People First stalwarts Messers Jabulani Sibanda, Rugare Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa failed to attend the party’s first rally addressed by interim leader Dr Joice Mujuru in Bulawayo yesterday, raising fears there were already fissures among the top hierarchy of the party. Yesterday, the party held its first major rally at Stanley Square in Makokoba and conspicuous by their absence from the gathering were the former Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association chairman, Mr Sibanda, renowned for his mobilisation skills and former Zanu-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity, Mr Gumbo and the former ruling party Secretary for Administration, Mr Mutasa.
Messers Gumbo and Mutasa were said to be virtually principal architects of Zimbabwe People First. However, reports said the two were not happy with happenings in the party after they were condemned to the unfashionable Group of Elders instead of substantive positions with “real power”.
Contacted for comment over his absence, Mr Sibanda said: “I am having prayers, contact me after 10 minutes”. When contacted after 10 minutes he said he was still having the “prayers and I will get back to you I have your number”. At the time of going to press, he had not phoned this reporter.
Mr Gumbo said he was ill. “I didn’t boycott, I was not feeling well,” he said when contacted for comment. Mr Gumbo described reports that they were contemplating breaking away from Dr Mujuru as “speculation” and said “we are together”.
However, when asked if he was happy with the way in which Dr Mujuru was running the party he responded: “But Dumisani I can’t discuss with you party issues”.
Mr Mutasa could not be contacted for comment but Zimbabwe People First interim chairman of the Information and Publicity Committee, Mr Methuseli Moyo, laughed off speculation of the fissures within the party. “Rally attendance is optional in any political party. It is normal that not every member of the national executive of a party attends every rally,” said Mr Moyo.
But highly placed sources within the party confirmed yesterday evening to Sunday News that all was not well in the party as factionalism has reached boiling point. “You can actually expect a statement from Sibanda, Mutasa and Gumbo soon announcing their own executive,” said one of the sources. “They are not happy. In fact, they have been giving excuses all week long that they are not feeling well, and all of them at the same time.”
The source said senior members from Bulawayo within the party like party information chief Mr Moyo, former Bulawayo Deputy Mayor, Alderman Amen Mpofu and former Pumula Member of Parliament, Mr Albert Mhlanga, who attended yesterday’s rally were “firmly behind their leader Dr Joice Mujuru”.
“The next rally is in Harare on Saturday and if Mutasa, Gumbo and Sibanda don’t attend you will realise that what I am telling you is the truth,” said the source.
Recently, Dr Mujuru was reported to have asked the interim Women’s League chairperson, Mrs Margaret Dongo and a member in charge of mobilisation, Mr Dzikamai Mavhaire to go to different parts of the country having meetings to solve the problem of parallel structures. But the meetings were cancelled.
Online Reporter