‘Chombo linked to Mujuru camp’

via ‘Chombo linked to Mujuru camp’ December 24, 2014

KADOMA — Newly-appointed Zanu PF secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo faces a possible purge following reports linking him to ousted former Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s camp.

Chombo — who took over from Didymus Mutasa following a massive Zanu PF purge that has so far claimed the scalps of Mujuru, 16 ministers and nine provincial chairpersons over allegations of plotting to topple President Robert Mugabe — has also been accused of flouting the party’s constitution and imposing his preferred candidates as central committee members for Mashonaland West Province.

A coterie of disgruntled Zanu PF activists has petitioned the party’s presidium demanding that proper elections be held in the province.

In a terse letter to Mugabe dated December 9 2014, which is in our possession, the group, which comprised of chairpersons drawn from Kadoma district, alleged Chombo flagrantly flouted party rules and regulations to impose his preferred candidates into the central committee at the just-ended Zanu PF congress held in Harare.

“The recently-held Zanu PF central committee elections had some senior party members flouting laid-down party rules and regulations to their liking (sic),” read part of the petition.

“While elections were held in all other provinces, it was a different case in Mashonaland West where candidates were handpicked as is always the case with Cde Chombo and [ousted] Cde Webster Shamu.

“This resulted in some areas like Kadoma Urban having two members who reside in the same cell being handpicked as central committee members.”
Chombo could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The petitioners added that Chombo always presided over “dubious” internal polls in Kadoma where he allegedly bragged about his penchant to consolidate his power base by imposing his loyalists to key party posts.

“This time it was Cde Rosa Ngomalala and Cde Leonard Whenjere who reside in the same cell, same branch and same district. It looks like he [Chombo] has a hidden agenda,” further reads the document.

They also allege Chombo belongs to the faction aligned to Mujuru as evidenced by his imposition of Ngomalala who last year was campaign manager for deposed Women’s League provincial chairperson Constance Tsomondo-Shamu, the wife of dislodged national political commissar Webster Shamu.

Both Shamu and his wife were fired in the run-up to the party’s congress for allegedly fanning factionalism and their alleged links to the Mujuru camp.

Also, Mhondoro-Ngezi MP Mike Gava, who was recently fined for violating the Firearms Act, was ineligible to hold a post in the central committee due to the criminal record, the petition further stated.

Gava, who was also allegedly roped in by Chombo, lost in the Youth League elections to Lotious Takarusikirwa in a move that had riled “tried-and-tested” veterans of the revolutionary party.