FORMER Vice-President Joice Mujuru is under fire from her National People’s Party (NPP) members, who accuse her of being a Zanu PF spy sent to destabilise opposition parties, as she continues to enjoy State benefits including a free vehicle and fuel.
Mujuru – who was booted out of Zanu PF and the government in 2014 on allegations of plotting to topple Mugabe – is also accused of breaching democratic principles, dictatorship and promoting nepotism within the party.
NPP Harare provincial secretary for local government, Mlilo Joyinani, in a hard-hitting resignation letter to Mujuru last week, accused the former Vice-President of promoting her clan, while destroying party structures.
“I have since noticed that NPP is not for the people of Zimbabwe, but the Nzous (Mujuru’s totem), you, Dzikamai Mavhaire and that lawyer, who has never won a single case in his career,” he said.
“The people’s party has become a haven for positions only and nothing on the ground. If I am not telling the truth, tell me one constituency or ward that is fully structured.”
He added: “We spent a whole day in April voting for our national top six, including you, and using our resources, but you gave yourself the powers to fire the treasurer we voted for, Wilbert Mubaiwa, and you did it.”
The letter touched a raw nerve in the party, with NPP spokesperson, Jefferson Chitando and Joyinani getting at each other’s throats, after the former labelled the latter a State spy agent.
CIOs (Central Intelligence Organisation agents) in NPP only exist in your shallow mind and around your president’s Land Cruiser, which does not pay tollgate fees, get free service and fuel from the government of Zanu PF,” Joyinani hit back at Chitando.
However, Mujuru is entitled to those benefits, following her tenure as Vice-President, with President Robert Mugabe passing regulations to that effect.
Party secretary-general, Gift Nyandoro said he would not dignify allegations made by Joyinani and other NPP members, who have deserted the party, with a response, instead saying they were nonentities sent by Zanu PF to infiltrate Mujuru and bring her down.
“We have seen nobodies masquerading as bona fide members of NPP in order to recast the acting drama of defection and Zanu PF-sponsored drama of defections,” he said.
“NPP is a sea of political membership that would not lose sleep over a purported evaporation of a drop of regime-sponsored salty water.”
Mujuru, together with the likes of former State Security minister Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo, were fired over allegations of plotting to oust Mugabe.
She helped found Zimbabwe People First last year before she clashed with Mutasa and Gumbo, prompting her to form NPP.