Former Vice President Mujuru Attracts Huge Crowd in Bulawayo

WASHINGTON DC — 

Former Vice President Joice Mujuru says she is ready to work with opposition parties in Zimbabwe.

Speaking at her maiden rally in Matabeleland region at the weekend, Mrs. Mujuru said all democratic forces should pull together in order to unseat President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party.

The former vice president, who was expelled from her party for allegedly attempting to topple President Mugabe, also said the media has over the years misled members of the public in believing that she insulted the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo.

The media has over the years reported that Mrs. Mujuru called the late Zapu leader “a senile old man” when he demanded that businessman Strive Masiyiwa be granted a license to run a mobile phone network, the present-day Econet Wireless Zimbabwe.

Masiyiwa currently runs a Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Scholarship scheme in honour of the late vice president.

Mrs. Mujuru said, “ … (There) have been a lot of political questions, a lot of politicking about Mai (Mrs) Mujuru denigrating Father Zimbabwe, about Mai Mujuru not interested in these things and that’s why I have taken a little bit of time to explain who I am.

“To me Father Zimbabwe in reality was my father but you know once you belong to some parties they would want to widen the gap (between her and other politicians and the electorate) by saying the wrong things. That’s why I have decided to talk about it and I would like to say for a long time you have been hoodwinked and I would like to say sorry for that …”

These remarks caused a lot of consternation among PF Zapu supporters, especially in Matabeleland where Nkomo, a nationalist leader, was respected and widely followed.