via Zanu PF politburo out to douse flames – NewsDay Zimbabwe August 5, 2015
The Zanu PF politburo is expected to meet today and escalating factional wars in Manicaland Province threatening to further tear apart the already factional-redden party are expected to top the agenda.
BY XOLISANI NCUBE
Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo confirmed the meeting, but refused to divulge the agenda, referring questions to party secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo.
“The politburo is meeting indeed tomorrow (today). I don’t have the agenda. Talk to Cde Chombo,” Moyo said.
Chombo could not be reached for comment.
But insiders told NewsDay that the politburo was likely to tackle the increasingly ugly war between politburo member Oppah Muchinguri and Provincial Affairs minister Mandi Chimene.
The two combative war veterans are at each other’s throats as they tussle for the control of the province, which for years was under the tight grip of former Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa.
“The fights in Manicaland, the use of the youth league by some senior party members to push their succession agendas as well as the entire restructuring exercises will be under discussion tomorrow,” a source said.
“The President (Robert Mugabe) is likely to make a statement on these issues, among other party matters.”
Last week, Chimene unleashed venom on Muchinguri, accusing her of being a sell-out and warned that she should stop harbouring ambitions that she could control the province.
Over the weekend, the provincial co-ordinating committee met, but no peace deal was reached as supporters of the two heavyweights continued to heckle each other in a bid to take full control of party programmers in the province.
At the centre of the fights was the forthcoming provincial elections that are aimed at choosing substantive leaders for the province and the two camps have their own preferred candidates for the top posts.
Acting provincial chairperson Samuel Undenge, who wants to retain the post on a permanent basis, is also at war with Muchinguri whom she recently described as “power-hungry and a sell-out”.
Muchinguri is alleged to be the ring-leader of a clique seeking to oust Undenge as Zanu PF infighting continues unabated.
The party has appointed Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi to deal with the wars in the province and conduct the restructuring exercises
There were attempts to oust Undenge from the acting post after some provincial executive members signed a petition against him.
The move collapsed after the party’s commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere, rejected the ouster saying it had been done illegally.
Sources said the politburo would also receive a report from Kasukuwere on the restructuring exercise and endorse the appointment of Ephraim Chengeta as Mashonaland West acting provincial chair following the ouster of Home Affairs deputy minister Ziyambi Ziyambi last month.
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