 He was critical of Mugabe, saying that he was too old and should make way for younger leadership, but also criticized Tsvangirai, comparing him to former Zambian President Frederick Chiluba and saying that a Tsvangirai victory would have been celebrated by the whites.Dabengwa was the leader of the revived Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), which is currently separating from the unity accord of 1987.He was a candidate of ZAPU for President of Zimbabwe during the 2013 general election.