via Mliswa ouster claims pure fiction: Gumbo 27/10/2014
ZANU PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo on Monday rubbished claims that the party’s politburo had last week approved the suspension of Mashonaland West chairman Temba Mliswa.
Gumbo’s statement is yet another vivid illustration of the cracks within the ruling Zanu PF as it heads towards a key elective congress in December.
Mliswa, who is said to be in a faction backing Vice-President Joice Mujuru, was suspended earlier this month for allegedly dividing the party in the province.
Gumbo jumped to the defence of Mliswa on Monday saying it was not true that the politburo had approved the suspension of the MP.
“The official party position pertaining to the Mashonaland West province chairman, Cde Temba Mliswa, remains that the so-called vote-of-no-confidence in Cde Mliswa continues to be a matter that the disciplinary committee is seized with in keeping with the resolution of the politburo as explained last Friday,” Gumbo said.
Gumbo’s comments came after the Mashonaland West provincial coordinating committee chaired by fellow politburo member, Ignatius Chombo, said last weekend that Mliswa remains suspended until a new boss is elected.
But the Zanu PF spokesman said Mliswa remained the provincial party chairman until the disciplinary committee chaired by Simon Khaya Moyo finalises the matter.
At least 27 out of 50 executive members passed a vote-of-no-confidence in Mliswa earlier this month. The 27 party activists were led by Mliswa’s deputy, Ziyambi Ziyambi, who has since taken over as the interim chairperson.
At the weekend, Chombo allegedly announced that the politburo, the administrative wing of the central committee, had resolved to bar Mliswa from all party activities until the elective congress.
The 27 accused Mliswa of pushing a divisive leadership style. They also accused Mliswa of working with white farmers and industrialists in Mashonaland West province without the knowledge of members of his executive.
“People might harbour certain selfish and factional agendas but rules are rules and we expect them to be followed to the letter whether such rules are politically expedient or not,” Gumbo said.
“It is shocking that senior party officials who know or ought to know of the existence of these basic and elementary rules or procedures are in fact completely and utterly ignorant of what needs to be done. It is a sign that desperation has really reached unprecedented and shameful levels,” he said.
Zanu PF is embroiled in factional fights with two camps allegedly embroiled in a bitter wrangle to succeed President Robert Mugabe.
Gumbo is said to be aligned to a faction led by Vice-President Joice Mujuru while Ziyambi and Chombo are backing a rival group led by Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa.
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