ZANU PF has disowned the vigilante Zimbabwe Anti-Presidential Criticism outfit and threatened “action” against its leaders for unlawful activities in the name of the ruling party.
The group grabbed headlines in December last year after it claimed to have arrested a man for “criticising” President Emmerson Mnangagwa and dumped him at Mbare police station in Harare.
The group led by Andrew Pasinawako has posted numerous videos, announcing their intention to intimidate and silence critics of Mnangagwa.
In December, the group also clashed with members of the party’s commissariat department after they were called to order, but later apologised.
Zanu PF national political commissar, Munyaradzi Machacha, yesterday told The Standard that the group was an illegal outfit abusing and tarnishing the name of the ruling party.
“They are not an affiliate of Zanu PF,” Machacha said in a telephone interview.
“Infact, they were instructed by the director-general of the ruling party to cease operating in the name of the party and that of the president, but they seem to be going ahead and defying those instructions.”
Machacha said organisations seeking affiliate status have to be approved by the party.
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“No affiliate is an affiliate until and unless they have received official endorsement in writing form the secretary general and this vigilante outfit does not have any such,” he said.
“I think some action will be taken against them...definitely some action is going to be taken.”
No comment could be obtained from the group’s leader.
Critics have accused the group of wanting to hijack policing powers from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).
Lawyers have said the group’s actions were illegal with no place in Zimbabwe’s legal framework, and amounted to intimidation.
Other critics have said the group’s actions were an assault on freedom of expression as underlined in the constitution.
The country is witnessing the mushrooming of shadowy groups identifying themselves as affiliates of the ruling party.
Observers have said the majority of the groups are get-rich-easy schemes as some of them have been pampered with money and cars by Zanu PF benefactors.
In Zanu PF, there is concern that the groupings are sowing seeds o division by overriding official structures and being used by senior officials in the party’s succession race.
Recently, Zanu PF’s commissariat department submitted the first batch of seventy organisations seeking affiliate status with the ruling party.
