‘No top positions for Zanu-PF returnees’

EXPELLED members who ZANU-PF are rejoining the revolutionary party are not going to be given positions, President Mnangagwa has said.

Several members, who ZANU-PF were expelled for various reasons, have been making a beeline to rejoin the ruling party.

Last week, former secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa and Cde Ambrose Mutinhiri were readmitted into the party.

Speculation was rife that the two were earmarked for some senior positions in the party after their readmission.

In an interview with ahead of ZBC this year’s 39th Independence Celebrations, President Mnangagwa said there was no responsibility for the prodigal sons.

“ZANU-PF is a mass party,” he said. “No question about that. Not everybody who is in is actually ZANU-PF

ZANU-PF. It’s like those who go to church, not all of them who say Christ, Christ are Christians.

“The same is in ZANU-PF. The fact that it is a mass party we take the cue from former chairman Mao Tse Tung, who said as the revolution unfolds, some will fall by the wayside, but as they fall and want to come back you receive them back and re-orient them, but take heed that you don’t give them responsibility again.”

Commenting on the unfolding National Dialogue, President Mnangagwa said they had taken on board all progressive political parties keen to see the development of the country.

“When I took office I said let bygones be bygones,”he said.

“I must live by that principle. We must not look back and live in the past. Let us endeavour to live in the present and try to work today and make tomorrow a better place for all Zimbabweans.

“My view is that let us differ on how to run Government, on how to build a bridge, how to build a school, how to craft economic policies, how to run agriculture, but we should all remain Zimbabweans and united. Zimbabwe is a unitary State.

“It is my view that dialogue between people who do not agree is a good thing. It’s good therapy between contestants. I have said from day one let us talk about differences and move forward, talk about our country and share about the vision for making the Zimbabwe we want.

“A prosperous Zimbabwe we want. This is why I initially had proposed that whoever is the leader of the opposition whether you are in Parliament or outside it we should make provision so that such a leader is recognised as an official leader of Government or Parliament so that he is given status. This is found in the Commonwealth parliamentary system, but we do not have it in Zimbabwe.”

President Mnangagwa continued: “But I said that those who could have benefited from that felt that they didn’t want to be spoon-fed, they must get things for themselves, we say yeah very good. So if you want to be given recognition and you want to earn it by yourself it is okay.

“The fact that you become the official leader of opposition is a recognition that you have some share in the electoral system which is significant and you need to be recognised. But that was denied.”