Four notorious, but now out-of-favour ZANU PF District Coordination Committee members in Nyanga, Manicaland, on Friday publicly claimed that they were ditching President Robert Mugabe’s party, to join the mainstream Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which is being led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

In a move likely meant to pick up their careers, the quartet of William Kondo, Agrippa Terera, Zanga Bariri and Takesure Mahadzva, a war veteran, made the public announcement of their decision during a victory party organised by William Chimbetete, the MDC-T legislator for Nyanga South.

The party was held at Nyatate Growth Point.

The four were apparently riled by a vote of no confidence that they received during a ZANU PF provincial meeting that was held early this month, but on Friday claimed that they had grown tired of ZANU PF politics and were joining a party that had “the masses at heart”.

“We decided to do this way back, but were waiting for such an opportunity like this, where we would show our kith and kin that we have come a party that has the masses at heart,” said Mahadzva, who spoke on behalf of the group.

He accused ZANU PF of having lost all qualities of a political party to become a militia organisation bent on terrorising Zimbabweans with opposing views.

“When we went to fight the liberation struggle, we were fighting for the freedom of this country, which was not the freedom to butcher, rape and torture innocent people like we were made to do in ZANU PF.

“Last year we had the full backing of the army to terrorise villagers and together with them we committed murders that continue to haunt us daily. We are tired of that and now want to move forward for a new start”

Chimbetete welcomed the four, whom he described as previously lost children who had since realised their mistake.

“I welcome the four members to our party and I wish them a happy life in the movement,” said the legislator.

When contacted for comment this week, Paul Kadzima, the ZANU PF DCC chairman for Nyanga, who is also the party’s losing candidate in last year’s parliamentary elections, professed ignorance on the matter.

“I am not aware of that, but I will investigate,” said Kadzima.

“Even if something like that has happened, it is not a crime because no one can stop anyone from joining a party of their choice.”

However, some MDC supporters are still sceptical about the four’s defection, which the suspect to be one of ZANU PF political tricks of infiltrating the MDC.

The four are well known for their brutality against MDC supporters, looting and an insatiable appetite for spilling innocent blood, which they have exuded in the past.

Kondo, for instance, was at one time arrested on allegations that he had butchered a white farmer in the Troutbeck area in 2001.

He mysteriously escaped jail and still roams around free.

(Source)