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Dr Obert Mpofu

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
UP to 1 000 members of the Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) have defected to Zanu-PF as they feel it is cold outside the ruling party, the party’s Secretary for Administration, Dr Obert Mpofu, has said.

ZimPF was formed in 2015 by ex-Zanu-PF members led by former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru, Mr Rugare Gumbo and Mr Didymus Mutasa.

The party later split and retired Brigadier Agrippa Mutambara now leads it, with Dr Mujuru leading the National People’s Party.

In an interview, Dr Mpofu said although he could not mention names, prominent figures from ZimPF had re-joined Zanu-PF.

“The numbers are growing bigger and bigger on a daily basis; people are coming back to their mother party. I’m talking about senior members of that party not ordinary members. The numbers are in excess of 1 000 people and if we are to add ordinary members the numbers will actually eclipse that figure,” said Dr Mpofu.

He said following President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ascendency to the party’s top position, more people feel secure to be in Zanu-PF.

“People are coming back home, some of them are former members of the party who had left it for one reason or another. But now with the new dispensation people feel their membership is now assured and secured,” Dr Mpofu said.

Zanu-PF has since ordered provinces to start reintegrating the defected supporters to its structures.

The party’s Bulawayo provincial secretary for administration Cde Elifas Mashaba said 80 ZimPF members have joined the party’s provincial structures.

“We received communication last week that there are some members of ZimPF who want to re-join the party. We were told that we should assist them with transport as they were supposed to go to Harare where they were supposed to meet with others.

“Eighty of them were coming from Bulawayo,” said Cde Mashaba.

He urged party supporters to accommodate the returning members in various programmes. — @nqotshili