“Zanu-PF is not an individual property” – ED coup challenger warns party members

Zanu-PF youth member Sybeth Musengezi who is challenging the legitimacy of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has warned his fellow party members against monopolising the organization adding that “Zanu-PF is not an individual property”.

Musengezi dragged Mnangagwa to court challenging his ascendancy to power after toppling late former President Robert Mugabe through a military coup in November 2017.

In an open letter to party members, Musengezi slammed the mushrooming of (4ED) organizations aligned to Mnangagwa as one of the factors showing disunity in the party.

These organizations include Women for Economic Development, Men BelievED and Teachers of ED among others.

“ZANU formation in 1963 was premised on democracy, socialism, nationalism, one-man-one-vote, freedom. Pan-Africanism, non-racism and republicanism. Later on after independence, some of us joined the party, having been motivated by those values, the same way most of our leaders joined the liberation struggle.

“We had hoped that power would be transferred gradually to the younger generation so that the country can move with the times while at the same time safeguarding the values of the liberation war,” read the letter.

“However, we seem to be moving in circles on issues of succession with the undemocratic endorsements” and elbowing of other members out of structures being the order of the day.

“We have recently witnessed the unhealthy one centre of power being resuscitated: we have seen the creation and mushrooming of parallel structures loyal to Cde Mnangagwa (4EDs) and not to Zanu-PF.

“This is likely to result in a Mnangagwa dynasty and history is fast repeating itself. We all witnessed how loyalty to individuals paid back in 2017.”

Musengezi further advised party members that “Zanu-PF is not an individual property, I will take you back a little with the fate of the following “Founding” party leaders:

“1. Ndabaningi Sithole (Died an opposition member and denied hero status by the party he founded)

“2. Hebert Chitepo (Mystery surrounds his car explosion death but I shall not speculate).

“3. Edgar Tekere (Died an opposition member but forcibly buried at the Heroes Acre)

“4 Enos Nkala (Died a bitter pauper who had second thoughts about being buried at the Heroes Acre).

“5. Henry Hamadziripi (Died a bitter pauper and denied hero status by the party he founded)

“6. Mukudzei Midzi (Died a bitter pauper, living in abject poverty and denied hero status by the party he founded)

“7. R G Mugabe (Died a very bitter opposition party (Adv. Nelson Chamisa) supporter after being couped by his trusted lieutenants. He refused to be buried at the same Heroes Acre that he built and buried his fellow Comrades because he did not want his burial superintendent by his ‘enemies’.”

He said he launched the court case against Mnangagwa to avoid more coups from happening.

“When I launched a High Court application challenging Cde Mnangagwa’s legitimacy as our Zanu-PF leader. I was trying to avoid a continuous situation of power grabbing (coups) where those with more guns than the other can simply assume leadership of the party and country without following due process.

“This would have enabled those who deserve to be in power to get into positions democratically but we have all seen how the captured courts continue to frustrate the court process,” he said.

With elections likely to happen in August, Musengezi said the economic crisis in Zimbabwe will ensure that many will not vote for Zanu-PF.

“If things continue in this trajectory and the economic situation continues to deteriorate, there is going to be a serious Bhora Musango in the coming elections (tiri kutsva ne tea isina sugar).

“We cannot be stubborn flies that follow a corpse into the grave as we will obviously be buried together with the dead body. We seem to have been making a mistake for Zimbabwe’s progress in fighting for Zanu-PF to remain in power.

“Our party has for so many years failed to fulfill election promises, even on Cde. Mnangagwa’s five year pledges, he has dismally failed. We will lie again in the 2023 elections and continue to take Zimbabweans for fools while a group of economic thugs personalize the country to line their pockets,” Musengezi added.

In October 2021, Musengezi dragged Mnangagwa to the High Court seeking an order declaring as illegal, the November 19, 2017 a central committee meeting that forced Mugabe to resign as Zanu-PF leader and crown then ousted Vice President Mnangagwa.

The matter is still before the court.