Staff ReporterZimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF is reportedly stuck with at least five million party regalia inscribed with the face of its deposed veteran leader Robert Mugabe.
Mugabe stepped down from power following a military intervention “targeting criminals around him” last November.
According to Daily News, Zanu-PF had acquired at least five million party regalia with the nonagenarian’s face, as it prepared for his re-election in the coming polls.
The acquisition made before Mugabe’s unexpected removal last year was facilitated by former minister of finance and Zanu-PF’s secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo from China, the report said.
“Chombo had bought T-shirt and other regalia from China preparing for the extraordinary congress and also elections, but then that was not to be as Mugabe was removed before the congress. Now the T-shirt are gathering dust at the party headquarters,” an unnamed Zanu-PF source was quoted as saying.
Clutch of opponents
The party had since warned its members not to wear any regalia with Mugabe’s face at its gatherings.
According to the Standard newspaper, the ruling party raised eyebrows when it splashed millions of dollars on new party regalia early this year in preparation for the coming polls.
Zanu-PF commissar retired Lieutenant General Engelbert Rugeje said that the party had bought at least 15 million T-shirts, 15 million caps and two million body wrappers for women for the forthcoming plebiscite.
Zimbabwe was expected to head to the polls on July 30, and Zanu-PF was fielding President Emmerson Mnangagwa as its presidential candidate.
The vote will pit him against a clutch of opponents, including 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa from the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the report said.
