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Former Zimbabwean VP expels opposition party stalwarts

Xinhua, February 9, 2017 Adjust font size:

Former Zimbabwean Vice President Joice Mujuru on Wednesday fired several founding members of her opposition party, accusing them of being agents of the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Mujuru was fired by President Robert Mugabe in 2014 on charges of trying to topple him. Several of her allies were also later expelled from the party.

The former VP together with the sacked officials went on to form the Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) party in 2016 to challenge Mugabe's party in the 2018 elections.

Among the seven fired by Mujuru are former Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and former Zanu-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa. Mutasa once served as state security minister in Mugabe's government.

Mujuru said more heads were going to roll in the fledgling party to cleanse it of unwanted elements.

"As a party, we have decided to take stern measures against elements determined to stall the progress that the party has been making," Mujuru said.

Her party last month contested in a by-election and lost to Zanu-PF, the first election that the party contested in since formation.

Mujuru is a former liberation fighter who joined cabinet at independence in 1980 as the youngest member. She held several cabinet posts until her promotion to VP in 2004, a position she held until she was fired from Zanu-PF. Endit