A visibly angry Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Saturday told his deputy Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa to go ahead and form his own party if he is not happy in the ruling ZANU-PF party.

Addressing the ninth presidential youth interface rally in the second largest city of Bulawayo, Mugabe admitted he had made a mistake by appointing Mnangagwa as his deputy in the party.

He complained that Mnangagwa had divided the party through factionalism and accused him of instigating party members to insult and ridicule him and his family.

“Did I make a mistake by appointing him (Mnangagwa)? If I made a mistake I will drop him even tomorrow. If he wants to form his own party, let him go ahead. We can’t have a party riddled with infighting. I don’t like that,” Mugabe said.

The president said he had been shocked and angered by some party members who booed the First Lady while making a speech at the same meeting earlier.

He said he got information that those who booed the First Lady had been sent by people belonging to Mnangagwa’s faction.

“We will not remain quiet and we can not continue to tolerate these divisive people in our party,” Mugabe said.

He warned that major decisions will be made at the forthcoming extra ordinary congress to be held next month in Harare.

Mugabe said what annoys him is that Mnangagwa has remained silent on accusations that he is driving factionalism within the ruling party.

Meanwhile, Mugabe challenged Bulawayo Province, a stronghold of the opposition, to make sure that ZANU-PF regains lost seats and becomes the dominant party in the province in next year’s elections.

Earlier, the First Lady openly castigated Mnangagwa and accused him of being the root cause of factionalism, which she said had resulted in some party members being suspended or expelled.

She hit back at those who booed her and said she was a strong woman who can stand for herself.

The First Lady said time had come for women in the party to reclaim their VP post which had been given to Mnangagwa in 2014 after Mugabe sacked former Vice President Joice Mujuru.

Mugabe’s party is reportedly battling intense infighting that is threatening to tear apart the party that has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.

The country will go to elections next year in which Mugabe will seek re-election.