Mugabe’s ZANU (PF) and opposition FP ZAPU, which was being led by Joshua Nkomo (now late) signed the unifying peace pact, which ended years of antagonism, in a development that elevated Nkomo to the post of second Vice President.
The unity accord, which saw the merger of the two previously antagonistic liberation war parties into one ZANU (PF), also ended seven years of genocide by Mugabe, in which his North Korea-trained Fifth Brigade (Gukurahundi) troops butchered an estimated 20 000 civilians in the Matabeleland region and the Midlands province, under the guise of fighting dissidents belonging to ZIPRA, ZAPU’s former military wing.
When Nkomo died in 1999, he was succeeded by Joseph Msika, as the unity accord showed signs of continuing.
However, party sources revealed to The Zimbabwean this week that some Bulawayo-based party officials are mulling pulling out of the unity accord, after levelling various allegations of treachery by Mugabe.
The politicians, who are led by Msika, Senator Joshua Malinga and politburo member, Dumiso Dabengwa, are said to be unhappy with the way Mugabe and other members of his pre-independence ZANU (PF) continue to overlook Matabeleland on developmental issues, and the way Mugabe has over-ridden some critical decisions made by the Bulawayo provincial leaders on party business.
They accuse Mugabe of betraying the spirit of natiuonal unity by these actions, according to the sources.
The sources further revealed that Msika has on several occasions threatened to resign from his post as Vice President, citing Mugabe’s disrepect for him as the main reason.
“Msika now wants out and Mugabe is scared that once that happens, the other disgruntled party members will also pull out of the unity accord and revive the simmering spirit of ZAPU. On those grounds, he (Mugabe) is is always begging Msika to remain in office so that he can continue to hold the two sides together. Msika is now being used in the same manner that Nkomo was used when he was ailing, until he died in office,” said a senior party source.
The recent clash between Mugabe and Msika over the former’s persistent endeavours to try and drag national war veterans leader, Jabulani Sibanda back into Bulawayo province through the back door is also said to have worsened matters between the two, resulting in the other Matabeleland leaders voicing their displeasure with Mugabe.
Dabengwa two weeks ago told journalists at the Bulawayo Press Club that the Gukurahundi issue should be re-visitted and Mugabe needed to compensate those who suffered the attroicities.
“There is more happening behind the scenes than meets the eye due to this internal conflict in the party. The local party leaders are also not happy with the way Mugabe used war veterans to campaign for his election as the party’s presidential candidate in this year’s elections, which saw them threaten respected officials and coying them into accepting Mugabe’s candidature,” said another senior politician.
When reached for comment, Bulawayo province spokesman Effort Nkomo, could neither deny nor confirm anything about the internal conflict.
“Every big organisation has its ups and down and it is how those are dealt with that matters. We are a party with laid down procedures of voicing our displeasure and that is not usually done through the press,” said Nkomo.
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