Source: Lacoste pushes for fresh provincial polls – DailyNews Live
Mugove Tafirenyika 28 June 2017
HARARE – Zanu PF has embarked on a restructuring exercise to prepare for
next year’s elections amid reports that party factions battling to
influence President Robert Mugabe’s succession are readying themselves for
a bruising fight.
The term of office for the ruling party’s lower leadership – the cell and
the branch – expires at the end of each year while that of the district
and provincial leaders end after three and five years, respectively.
Zanu PF is seriously divided, with the camp which is rabidly opposed to
Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeding Mugabe, the G40 faction,
involved in a life-and-death tussle with the VP’s backers, Team Lacoste.
Party insiders told the Daily News that while the ongoing exercise is
meant to realign the lower structures of the party, Mnangagwa’s backers –
buoyed by their recent success in Masvingo where Ezra Chadzamira was
elected chairperson – were pushing for the exercise to also include
provincial executives manned by co-opted officials in almost all provinces
in their bid to “finish off” their rivals.
Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo confirmed the party is currently
restructuring but would not say if the exercise also includes provincial
executives.
He referred questions to Zanu PF national political commissar Saviour
Kasukuwere who was said to be in a meeting while his deputy, Omega Hungwe
said he was the appropriate person to comment.
But sources close to Team Lacoste told the Daily News yesterday that the
VP’s allies wanted to take advantage of the pressure that Kasukuwere is
facing right now amid accusations of seeking to topple Mugabe.
“It is an agreed fact in the party that it will be foolhardy for anyone to
think that we can do well against the opposition next year when we have
party structures that were built on factional lines by Kasukuwere as he
went around the country removing elected officials and co-opting his
friends into provincial executives.
“So, this exercise (restructuring) could be used to makes sure that
anomaly is corrected before elections,” a Mashonaland West provincial
executive member said on condition of anonymity.
About seven out of 10 Zanu PF provincial executives countrywide, including
the Samuel Undenge-chaired Manicaland executive, Mashonaland West led by
Ephraim Chengeta, Mashonaland Central (Dickson Mafios), Mashonaland East
(Bernard Makokove) and Midlands led by Daniel Mackenzie Ncube, among
others are not substantive.
Chengeta and Mafios came in to replace Temba Mliswa and Luke Mushore
respectively after they were expelled on allegations of supporting former
vice president Joice Mujuru in 2014.
Makokove, on the other hand, replaced Joel Biggie Matiza – an alleged
Mnangagwa ally – who was suspended for allegedly fanning factionalism.
Mackenzie Ncube was elevated from being deputy chairperson following the
death of Kizito Chivamba.
Mashonaland Central deputy chairperson Kazembe Kazembe said his province
was almost done with restructuring cells and branches.
“But I am not sure whether it’s going to include provincial structures,
maybe you could check with the provincial commissar,” said Kazembe.
When the programme started at the beginning of the year, the G40 camp had
allegedly made plans to ensure that junior party officials loyal to
Mnangagwa are purged before the Zanu PF primary elections to prevent MPs
backing the Midlands godfather’s presidential ambitions from returning to
Parliament.
These structures constitute the majority of the people who form the
party’s Electoral College during primary elections to choose parliamentary
and council candidates ahead of a general election.
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