Mujuru prepares for convention

Politics
National People’s Party (NPP) leader Joice Mujuru has moved to consolidate power in her new party, putting together a 10-member committee to organise her inaugural convention and the coming coalition talks between her and Tendai Biti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

National People’s Party (NPP) leader Joice Mujuru has moved to consolidate power in her new party, putting together a 10-member committee to organise her inaugural convention and the coming coalition talks between her and Tendai Biti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

By PAIDAMOYO MUZULU

NPP leader Joice Mujuru
NPP leader Joice Mujuru

Mujuru left the Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) party to form NPP following irreconcilable differences between her and the ZPF founding elders Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo earlier this year.

Mujuru made the announcement on Friday at a meeting of the party’s interim national leaders in the capital.

The 10 committee chairpersons to organise the national convention whose dates are still to be finalised include coordinating committee (Mujuru), mobilisation committee (Munyaradzi Banda), security committee (Christopher Ndiweni and finance committee (Wilbert Mubaiwa).

Mujuru said the committees should coordinate and supervise preparations for the convention through regular meetings, updates and follow ups.

“We want a successful convention which will be a big step towards the Zimbabwe the people want. We are in the final leg. Let us pull together. Our competitors want to believe that we are a joke. They are in for a shock,” she said.

“Your task is to consolidate the party and lead us to a successful elective convention. So far we have excelled.

Our provincial elective conferences were a resounding success, with no resources to talk about. Other parties got huge sums of money but they have failed to deliver. We are on the road and have defied odds. That is the hallmark of a people’s party. I am very proud of what we have done so far.”

Meanwhile, Mujuru used the same platform to announce the formal coalition talks with PDP.

“The PDP has presented a Memorandum of Understanding proposal, which we are considering. Five other opposition political parties have approached us and we are proceeding with mutual respect and caution. We have assigned two of our technocrats, supported by the two vice-presidents Samuel Sipepa Nkomo and Ambassador John Mvundura and our national chairman, Dzikamai Mavhaire to handle the negotiations on our behalf,” she said.

Mujuru further restated her conviction that NPP was a government in waiting.

“In the meantime, we are NPP and we are on our own and we must continue to mobilise and recruit members to win the 2018 elections. We are the party of the moment and the future. We are a government in waiting,” Mujuru said.