Zimbabwe: Activities of the Liberty Party of Zimbabwe (LPZ), its national leaders, its platform, its positions, its ethnic predominance and its relations with the authorities
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 5 July 2001 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ZWE37390.FE |
| Reference | 1 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Zimbabwe: Activities of the Liberty Party of Zimbabwe (LPZ), its national leaders, its platform, its positions, its ethnic predominance and its relations with the authorities, 5 July 2001, ZWE37390.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4beccc.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to an article printed in the 19 February 1998 issue of the South African newspaper The Financial Gazette, the Liberty Party of Zimbabwe (LPZ) was launched in London in the mid-1990s by Canaan Z. Moyo, a London-based businessman from Zimbabwe. According to the article, the LPZ views the repatriation of thousands of emigrants as the solution to Zimbabwe's political and economic problems. One of the party's objectives is to divide Zimbabwe into six provinces, each headed by a premier and his Cabinet, and give the central government control of national defence, finance, foreign affairs and the appointment of the judiciary (ibid.). The majority of the party leaders are from Bulawayo and are of Ndebele origin (ibid.), including the party's president, Canaan Z. Moyo, and his two vice-chairmen, Two-boy Jubane and Ernest Maseko (ibid.). When asked about the predominance of Ndebeles in the party's leadership, Maseko stated that the LPZ is a mass party which welcomes everyone and that the majority of the members of LPZ branches in South Africa are Ndebele because the majority of Zimbabwean emigrants in South Africa are from Matabeleland (the region of origin of the Ndebeles) (ibid.). In 1998, the LPZ had 20 branches in the city of Johannesburg alone, but was not registered in Zimbabwe (ibid.).
A Financial Gazette article dated 11 June 1998 states that the LPZ wanted to reestablish federalism in Zimbabwe and that, according to the party's secretary general, Clark Mpofu, the party intended to open offices in Bulawayo.
A dispatch from SAPA, the South African Press Agency, dated 13 November 1999 states that during a demonstration held at the meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of State in Durban, LPZ members chanted slogans against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, accusing him of killing thousands of Ndebeles.
A Saturday Star article dated 24 June 2000 states that the LPZ had to join a coalition of three other parties in order to reduce the division of votes in the June 1999 legislative election.
According to a 28 March 2001 Financial Gazette article quoting George Moyo, a party spokesperson, the LPZ "had unanimously agreed that its leader, Canaan Moyo, would not oppose Mugabe's bid for another term next year to allow Mugabe to see through his land reforms, which have been outlawed by the courts." However, certain senior members dissociated themselves from this position and accused their leader of being used by the governing party (ibid.). The party's secretary general, Jabulani Ndlovu, stated that the LPZ could not support Mugabe as a presidential candidate and called on him to step down from the race (ibid.).
No additional information on the LPZ was found in the sources consulted by the Research Directorate in the time available to respond to this information request.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
The Financial Gazette [Harare]. 28 March 2001. "Split Looms in Liberty Party Over Mugabe".
_____. 11 June 1998. "Zimbabwe: Opposition Party Launches "Nationwide" Membership Drive". (FBIS-AFR-98-162 11 June 1998/WNC)
_____. 19 February 1998. David Masunda. "A Zimbabwean Opposition Party is Born in South Africa".
SAPA [Johannesburg]. 13 November 1999. "RSA: Group Protests Against Mugabe, Cameroon in Durban". (FBIS-AFR-1999-1113 13 November 1999/WNC)
Saturday Star [Johannesburg]. 24 June 2000. "Star Correspondent Tells "Brutal Truth" of Zimbabwe's Election Process". (FBIS-AFR-2000-0624 24 June 2000/WNC)
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential [London]
Africa Research Bulletin [Oxford]
IRB databases
LEXIS/NEXIS
Political Handbook of the World 1999
REFWORLD
Search engines:
MetaEureka
