via Grace targets more bigwigs – NewsDay October 27, 2015
ZANU PF members aligned to First Lady Grace Mugabe have reportedly gone on a campaign to force party members to pass a vote of no-confidence in newly-elected Mashonaland East provincial chairman Joel Biggie Matiza, accusing him of being sympathetic to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s faction, NewsDay has learnt.
by staff reporters
A senior provincial party member who declined to be named told NewsDay yesterday that they had received orders from fellow party members to sign a petition against Matiza.
“We have been receiving calls from some officials who are ordering us to pass a vote of no-confidence against Matiza. They are not coming out clean on the allegations levelled against Matiza, but they told us that it is Dr Amai (Grace Mugabe) who is instructing them to do so. We are now confused,” the source said.
But Matiza yesterday said he was in the dark about the alleged plot.
“I am not aware of such a plot. We are busy in the province. We are working hard for the betterment of the party. The whole new executive is working flat out to make sure all is well in the province, and here comes people abusing the name of the First Lady for their own ambitions. We will look into the issue and if the person who is plotting that is from within the province, then we will deal with that person accordingly. We are currently restructuring Mashonaland East province, meaning to say we are on the ground working hard,” Matiza said.
The campaign has also been extended to Mnangagwa’s backyard, Midlands province, where acting provincial chairperson Kizito Chivamba is reportedly facing the axe for allegedly discouraging party members from attending Grace’s rallies.
Chivamba, however, yesterday told NewsDay that his statement had been quoted out of context, saying he supported the First Lady.
“I said don’t leave us to her meetings because as chairman, people were coming to me saying why were other party members attending her rallies, leaving out others. People said they wanted to participate in Amai’s meetings and not to be left out,” Chivamba said in defending himself.
“She is our mother, the mother of the nation and as Midlands, we should be seen to be participating in her programmes and listen to get wise counsel.”
The latest purges against Mnangagwa loyalists come amid reports that the party’s acting Masvingo provincial chairperson Paradzayi Chakona was booted out last Friday for being sympathetic to the Vice-President.
Zanu PF Mashonaland Central youth leader Godfrey Tsenengamu was also stripped of his post recently on charges of supporting Mnangagwa, while Manicaland has been rocked by similar factional fights.
“In all the cases, the name of First Lady Grace Mugabe has been invoked,” a senior Zanu PF member who refused to be named said.
“The Mnangagwa faction is under fire. We will see a continued onslaught on his loyalists. Chakona was fired because he is a staunch Mnangagwa supporter. It is known in the whole of Masvingo.”
Grace is reportedly part of the G40, a group of Zanu PF Young Turks who are plotting to block Mnangagwa’s bid to succeed President Robert Mugabe.
COMMENTS
It dismays me to see that people think that DARGMMONA is trying to block VPEM’s presidential ambitions. Firstly I do not think that it has been established that EM has these ambitions. Just because HERGM sees it fit to appoint EM to one of the VP posts does not mean that VPEM has presidential ambitions. But, if he did, DARGMMONA is mature enough to know that this is part of the robust democratic tradition of the RP (Ruling Party), matured during the years of the revolutionary political development of Zimbabwe under the leadership of DARGMMONA’s current spouse, HERGM. Of course not of this precludes DARGMMONA from aspiring to the position herself. It is her democratic right. After all she is in a good position to ensure that the nation benefits, as it has done, from the polices of HERGM. One of the consequences for those policies to to provide the nation with real democratic choice between candidates of impeccable pedigree and competence way beyond the dreams of the so called opposition candidates,
Can someone please oganize one way tickets to Timbuktu for all off them, including the so called opposition leaders.All these bunch of clowns-although not funny at all-schould really take their circus outside Zimbabwe. Very very far away where nobody speak their langauge.Sorry people of Mali, you are mostly french speaking , but if they also get on your nerves, just pass them on further north, or better direct to the north pole.Maybe the ice bears there will find them funny and a free meal is always welcome.
ZWOPN has outdone himself.
Clearly HERGM and DARGMMONA are at the core of RPRFP and are trying to decapitate all opposition for the POPOROZ including FVPAJM and now VPEM and anyone else who doesn’t like DARGMMONA.
Soon we will all be forced to eat ICFGD and also YFGD until they manage to balance their books again. IASS.
WTCCL.
Dumbetshena was quite right when he said that in Zimbabwe PhD stands for “pull him down”.
Please send me a dictionary, have been outside the country for too long.
HERGM = His Excellency Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
DARGMMONA = Dr Amai Russel Grace Mugabe Mother of the Nation. Or “Dr Ambuya…” if I knew her grandchild name.
Both are meant in a respectful way as befits the dignity of said persons.
Thanks Zambuko. DARGMMONA, I now understand.If only most zimbabweans could understand your style of writing, you could become the next best sell Author or Commentater.I bet that even the respected and dignifed would even beg you for an Autogram for their kids and encourage them to read your works ,so that they hear from someone else ,how great their Parents are.