http://www.changezimbabwe.com/Saturday, 27 September 2008 20:09
Vice-President Joseph Msika has once again publicly backed former Home Affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwa who is leading calls to revive PF Zapu and abandon the 1987 Unity Accord.
Dabengwa rebelled against President Robert Mugabe ahead of the March presidential elections to support former politburo member, Dr Simba Makoni.
The ruling party's secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, is on record as saying the veteran politician had expelled himself from the party.
But Msika told members of the Zanu PF district co-ordinating committee that Dabengwa was an authentic PF Zapu cadre and should not be vilified for his decision to abandon the ruling party.
The meeting held at the Zanu PF headquarters at Davies' Hall last Thursday was organised to brief party members on the deal between Zanu PF and the two MDC formations on establishing an all-inclusive government.
In March Msika took issue with Matabeleland politicians such as
Bulawayo governor, Cain Mathema and Industry and International Trade Minister, Obert Mpofu, who labelled the former Zipra forces commander a sell out for abandoning Mugabe.
After Mugabe's bloody re-election campaign in June, Msika warned his colleagues that PF Zapu was still alive.
Mugabe has to drop a significant number of Zanu PF leaders from
government in line with the new configuration, which limits the number of direct appointees to parliament.
Msika, who represents PF Zapu in Zanu PF, retains his largely
ceremonial post of second vice-president but remains the only representative in the presidium after John Nkomo failed to hold on to the post of Speaker of Parliament.
Some Ndebele leaders within the western region, are not too keen on this proposed revival as they are sceptical as to weather ZAPU will in the future, make decisions which are not in line with the people's will, just as they did during the early 80s, some of which had deadly consequences on their core support.By Nqobile Mbali
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