The Sunday Mail
Kuda Bwititi Chief Reporter
Former Zimbabwe People First Masvingo provincial co-ordinator Colonel (Retired) Claudius Makova has indicated his desire to return to Zanu-PF while lavishing President Mugabe with praises, saying the revolutionary party remains strong under his leadership.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail in Harare last week, Rtd Col Makova also opened up on goings-on in ZimPF, including the leadership’s frustration at failing to garner grassroots support for a proposed opposition coalition.
Rtd Col Makova quit his post following ZimPF’s thumping defeat at Zanu-PF’s hands in the January 20 Bikita West National Assembly by-election – the first poll the opposition outfit has participated in since its launch in early 2016.
The defeat sent senior party officials scampering for cover from the humiliation, with some said to be baying for the blood of their leader, Dr Joice Mujuru.
Zanu-PF’s Cde Beauty Chabaya polled 13 156 votes while her closest rival, Mr Kudakwashe Gopo of ZimPF, lumbered to 2 453.
Rtd Col Makova, who served as Zanu-PF’s parliamentary representative for that constituency (2000-2008), said: “After the defeat, I decided to resign from my post as provincial co-ordinator, a post equivalent to provincial chairman, and I have no hard feelings about that.
“I realised that if my party has lost in my own backyard, I cannot expect to win again in my area. It’s time to give others a chance, but I will remain an ordinary member.”
Rtd Col Makova said he was still bitter about his expulsion from Zanu-PF after being linked to Dr Mujuru’s ill-fated attempt to unconstitutionally unseat President Mugabe in both Government and the ruling party.
He said he would, however, “consider the option of returning”.
“It was not a choice to form People First, but there was no other alternative. I am hurt and I do not see myself going back. But if Zanu-PF apologises for what it did, then maybe I will start considering that option.
“Nobody wanted to leave Zanu-PF, but we were expelled. There is no way I can go back and bow to these small boys. I will only bow to senior people such as President Mugabe and Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa. I have great respect for President Mugabe.
“It cannot be denied that President Mugabe is a great man. He might have a few weaknesses as a human being, but few people can be able to do what he has done as a leader and there are not many who can stand up to him.
‘‘Only a few people can compare to him. Even those who do not like Mugabe can testify that he is a great man.”
Rtd Col Makova conceded that a proposal to form an opposition coalition to challenge Zanu-PF in 2018 was failing to gain traction at grassroots level.
“From where we were on the ground, we could tell that a coalition does not exist. It is only being discussed in the top leadership but there is nothing on the ground. At times, we only read (about) it in the newspapers.”
Regarding internecine fights that rocked ZimPF in the lead-up to the by-election, he said: “I do not want to call it factionalism, but it was just a difference of opinion. There were many people who were against the idea of taking part in the election while others did not want to. We are a democratic party so that is normal.”
