Former Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) secretary-general Ackim Mhlanga who resigned from the ‘restorationist’ party before joining Zanu-PF, claims the ruling party has shown political maturity compared to opposition movements.
Upon his resignation, Mhlanga accused MRP president, Mqondisi Moyo, of exhibiting dictatorial tendencies, personalising properties belonging to the party and lack of transparency or accountability in party affairs.
In an interview with CITE on why he had joined Zanu-PF, Mhlanga said he wanted to have a mature political home that could embrace his ideas.
“I looked around for a political party after having resigned from MRP and there was only Zanu-PF,” he said.
“Other political parties have no progress, only squabbles and divisions. I have no position in Zanu-PF but will soon have one.”
Mhlanga disclosed that he had joined the Zanu PF Matabeleland North structures and that he had moved with a handful of other MRP members.
“The former MRP Secretary for Sports, Nkosikhona Sibanda moved with me and other MRP members from Hwange West and East. Other members in the national executive have also shown interest,” he said.
The former MRP SG believes the ruling Zanu PF is a better political party than other movements, as it followed its constitution and carried out a congress.
“Zanu PF strictly follows its constitution,” Mhlanga said, taking a dig at MRP, which he accused of failing to hold an elective congress where all the members who had positions including the party president were interim leaders.
He also claimed that “Zanu PF policies, if properly put into practice, may bring meaningful development.”
However, the MRP Leader retorted that Mhlanga had been planted to destroy the party.
“Ackim Gasela is not part of the MRP agenda, instead he did us good by portraying his true colours to be paraded in Zanu-PF. Actually we had been monitoring his moves for the past three years when we discovered he was planted by his paymasters to destroy MRP and me personally,” he said.
“You cannot easily join Zanu-PF like the way Mhlanga did, if you were not in their ranks. Both him and Nkosikhona Sibanda were long planted by Zanu- PF to infiltrate us.”
Moyo added that the party’s security and intelligence department would reveal other traitors planted to destroy MRP.
“Mhlanga said he chose to go back to his Zanu party because they are development oriented and sadly that means the butchering of more than 40 000 of our people by the Genocide commandeered by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF. The Shona 1979 Grandplan by Zanu- PF against the Ndebele is development to him, the deployment of Shona teachers, police, army, nurses and doctors and other civil servants to Ndebele speaking areas is development to him. The invasion of our land and mine grabs is a development to him,” he alleged.
The MRP leader added that Mhlanga was ‘actually’ suspended indefinitely a month before tendered his resignation.
“Information leaked before his parade in Victoria Falls a month ago that he, Nkosikhona Sibanda and other three individuals were working for Zanu-PF and were deployed to destroy MRP.”
Moyo also claimed it was Zanu-PF strategy to win the elections was using its infiltrators to destroy the opposition and later parade these individuals as if they had defected.
“This is also fortified by the fact that Zanu-PF in Harare paraded Obert Gutu. A month ago Zanu-PF claimed to have received 150 members from ZAPU and this is a sign that they planted so many of its people to infiltrate opposition parties and destroy them from within. On the other hand, Zanu-PF wants to mislead the world that so many people are defecting from their parties to join them ahead of the 2023 elections especially after they successfully rigged 2018 so this is another form of Zanu-PF rigging mechanism,” alleged the MRP leader.
