Internal disagreements within ZPF led Mujuru to dismiss seven senior members of the party whom she accused of having links with the ruling Zanu PF party. Top on the list of those that Mujuru gave the marching orders were  the Elders’ Advisory Council duo of Mutasa and Gumbo.

The other five senior members that were shown the exit are former Zimbabwe Union of Democrats leader, Margaret Dongo; former Zanu PF politburo member Kudakwashe Bhasikiti; former Cabinet member Munacho Mutezo; former Zanu PF Bikita West legislator Claudius Makova and former Zanu PF Mashonaland East provincial youth chairperson Luckson Kandemiri.

However, the group of seven responded to Mujuru’s move by calling a press conference where they rejected their purported dismissal, claiming that if anything, they were fed-up with Mujuru’s  “inept leadership and dictatorial tendencies” such that their dismissal came at a time they were finalising moves to recall her from her position as the interim leader of the party.

Mujuru went on to rebrand her outfit the National People’s Party (NPP) while Mutasa, Gumbo and others remained with ZPF. Gumbo and Mutasa split again just last month this time with Bhasikiti and former army general Agrippa Mutambara emerging as faction leaders.