Ex Zanu PF Mashonaland West Province Chairman, ‘Temba Mliswa’ Quits Politics

FORMER Zanu-PF chairman for Mashonaland West Province Mr Temba Mliswa has quit politics. Mr Mliswa told journalists in Bulawayo yesterday that he would never run for public office again or vie for a political post in any of the political parties in the country.

Speaking at the Bulawayo Press Club, Mr Mliswa said he was now concentrating on “nurturing” future leaders through his Youth Advocacy for Reform and Democracy (Yard), a youth initiative he recently founded.

The former Hurungwe West legislator was fired from Zanu PF early this year, together with several other party members who were backing former Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s putschist maneuvers.

Following his expulsion, Mr Mliswa declared that he would “bounce back” to the political fold and contested as an independent candidate in the by-election which followed his expulsion and recalling from Parliament, but lost to Zanu-PF candidate Keith Guzha.

The controversial politician, who has evidently lost his way in political wilderness, has been linked with several opposition political parties and at one point was pushing for a grand coalition of opposition parties, albeit hitting a snag.

Mr Mliswa has been linked with the Mujuru led People First party, links that he and the party have both dismissed.

He has also been linked with the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC, and was again recently reported to have expressed desire to return to Zanu-PF.