by Chiedza Tembo 

The National Patriotic Front (NPF) has been making frantic efforts to mobilise the electorate in a bid to garner more votes ahead of the harmonised elections, promising money and welfare support, with members, however, realising they were being deceived and given empty promises by the Mutinhiri led party.

This emerged during a ZANU PF meeting that was held in Bindura North at Kajasuma Business Centre on Sunday, where one Rangarirai Marande, chronicled how NPF made attempts to have them affiliated to the indisposed party.  

“We were ferried to Bindura under the pretext of an invitation to a Nyawo Dance Festival. In a dramatic turn of events, we found ourselves at Coach House Inn, where there was an NPF provincial meeting and we were given regalia,” she said.

Marande was speaking on behalf of five NPF members who defected to Zanu PF.

“We were also promised money, a lot of material things as well as welfare support, which never sufficed. We later realised that we were deceived and as such, decided to take action by disassociating ourselves with NPF,” she said.

During the meeting, the five surrendered regalia they had received from NPF and pledged allegiance to Zanu PF.

Similarly, 20 MDC Alliance members also defected to Zanu PF at Chitanga Business Centre in Chivi. The members surrendered MDC regalia to the Zanu PF leaders in Chivi and pledged to vote for Zanu PF.

NPF has been rocked by intra party conflict, where recently Mutinhiri was being asked to step down as the leader and instead, endorse MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa as a preferred presidential candidate.

NPF has also been accused of supporting former President Robert Mugabe and making efforts to bring back former first lady, Grace Mugabe in active politics, a move labelled by analysts as  a shot in the foot for the party.