Zanu-PF 'too old to challenge vibrant MDC'
2012-11-27 09:33
Special Report
Chinese vice premier Wang Yang has urged Zimbabwe to ensure peace and political stability ahead of elections this year.
Cape Town - Former Zanu-PF member and cabinet minister Enos Nkala has predicted a landslide victory for Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Zimbabwe's forthcoming elections, describing his former party as “moribund”.
According to a report by Newsday online, Nkala said his former party, which has been in power for the past 32 years, was headed for a crushing defeat because most of its leaders were “too old to challenge the vibrant, young labour-backed party”.
Nkala, who is one of Zanu-PF's surviving founding fathers, quit government and active politics more than two decades ago after he was implicated in a motor vehicle scam.
Grassroots support
He added that contrary to recent surveys which predicted a Zanu-PF victory, Tsvangirai remained ahead of the pack because of his wide grassroots support base.
"Tsvangirai and his party are still ahead of all others. Even if you go to Harare, Beitbridge, Matabeleland North, Manicaland, Masvingo and everywhere, you hear people talk about Tsvangirai and his party," Nkala said.
"Zanu-PF was then a massive party, but now it is moribund. It is too old and what I know at the moment is that it is led by [President Robert] Mugabe and nothing else.
"In Matabeleland, Zanu-PF no longer has vibrant people. It is just left with individuals who are too old like me. It is totally finished. What can a person of my age do to challenge a new and strong party like MDC?"
Nkala said only the MDC was "alive" throughout the country, dismissing other political parties as mere Zanu-PF "fragments" and "a waste of time".
Mugabe has indicated that he wants Zimbabwe's next elections to be held in March.
- News24
