However, Ndlovu, who is currently based in South Africa
where he is team manager at Mamelodi Sundowns FC, has not yet come out of his
shell to address or to meet the electorate in Zimbabwe to outline his new path
in politics.
His deputy Sabastian Mubvumbi, however, says APP is real
and will contest the 2023 general elections.
NewsDay (ND) senior reporter Miriam Mangwaya caught up with APP
vice-president Mubvumbi (SM) to explain the state of affairs at the party.
Below are excerpts of the interview.
ND: Why did you decide to name the party All People’s
Party?
SM: We came up with the name All Peoples Party (APP) to
show that it is an all-encompassing party. Our party is inclusive as it does
not discriminate on gender, race, tribe, religious preferences or sexual
orientation.
The party’s official emblem sums it all on inclusivity. It
is a rainbow with jointed palms underneath it. The rainbow shows the degree of
inclusivity, and the joined palms represent unity. It is premised on the ethos
of ubuntu; of us, by us, and I am because we are. There is no greater person
than the other as we are all equal.
ND: What prompted you to form the party?
SM: The call for the need of a vibrant political party came
from various sectors of the Zimbabwean community who felt that they needed a
political home that would cater for their views. There is a wish to build
Zimbabwe and it is the work of a lifetime that needs commitment and we feel up
to the task as we have the capacity from the crop of party members and other
progressive people.
This was also borne out of the realisation that the current
leadership has laid waste the gains of the liberation struggle and become the
bourgeoisie who have run the country to the ground, leaving it at rock bottom.
It is apparent that we are run by a kleptocratic government that is not
interested in our well-being as citizens as witnessed by the various disastrous
decisions from the 1980s.
We want to be counted in history as the ones who stood up
and took up the mettle to rebuild Zimbabwe.
ND: When did you form the party?
SM: APP was formed in 2019. It was then registered with the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission the same year on October 31, 2019. We, however,
deferred our launch due to COVID-19. Peter Ndlovu was unanimously chosen as the
leader of the party.
ND: Why has Peter Ndlovu as APP president remained mum and
has instead let you assume the leadership role as the acting president? People
want him to come out of his shell, into the open and to meet party supporters
or the electorate?
SM: We have to appreciate the unique times we are in due to
the COVID-19 pandemic as this has hampered any plans we may have had to hit the
ground running as envisaged. We are interested in solidifying our grassroot
structures.
A response from the president (Ndlovu) will come at a time
deemed appropriate as he is currently inundated with other commitments. Rest
assured that he is abreast with all that is taking place within the party
structures and is willing to be a torch bearer of a change for the better.
ND: How do you see your political future?
SM: APP is the party of the future that is progressive and
has solutions to the many ills that bedevil us as a country. This, therefore,
means that we are here for the coming generations as we are here for the long
haul.
APP looks forward to a party and government leadership that
earns respect, not hero-worshipped or idolised. We are patriotic to the country
and its people. We will not wish and speak ill of our country and will not seek
political mileage and relevance from the suffering of fellow Zimbabweans. It is
immoral and even cruel for a political party to want to gain votes through the
suffering of the masses.
ND: What are your predictions for the 2023 elections?
SM: We are romping to victory because we are a people’s
party. Our target is three million votes for Peter Ndlovu. That will take him
to State House. On Members of Parliament, we will have two-thirds, the other
political parties will share the remaining third. Council seats will be a walk
over.
Our candidates will be people of good standing, honesty and
not in it for enrichment, but serving the people. The 2023 elections will usher
in a new administration. The people are going to vote in large numbers. Rigging
is impossible or embarrassingly obvious where large numbers of voters are involved.
ND: What do you say on the issue of electoral reforms which
other opposition parties are pushing for?
SM: I think it would be naïve for us as a party not to
support this noble cause. We will push for that although it has now turned out
to be a tired discourse. The ruling party is not willing to have the reforms
done. We should be seized with voter registration.
Our biggest challenge is voter apathy. The majority of
Zimbabweans do not have a citizen mentality. They simply do not vote. All in
all, the ruling party and opposition political parties share about five million
voters. That leaves at least five million potential voters. As APP, we are
mobilising this number to vote. Disgruntled voters from other political parties
will be an added advantage.
ND: Since the launch of your party, what can you say are
your achievements so far?
SM: We have brought a breath of fresh air. Our grassroot
structures are taking shape at an alarming rate, although the environment is
not conducive for political activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one that
came from the depths of hell. We are using other means to reach out to our
members.
ND: Some say APP is a Zanu PF project aimed at dividing the
majority support of one opposition party. What do you say?
SM: We cannot respond to every little allegation that
people make. Why give the issue prominence?
APP was formed out of principle and conviction.
However, it is normal in a society to experience the denial
syndrome. There are people who do not accept reality as it is. Do they mean to
say every other political party is a Zanu PF project except for the opposition
party they are referring to? Does it mean that every person who is anti-Zanu PF
is a member of that party? Or alternatively, does it mean that everyone who is anti-that
party is Zanu PF? That is tragic and regrettable and would be tantamount to the
sense of entitlement Zanu PF has over the country. Newsday
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