via Zanu PF shuts down Mutare office – NewsDay Zimbabwe July 22, 2015
ZANU PF Manicaland provincial offices in Mutare have been shut down as staff members fear violent clashes between rival camps supporting senior ruling party officials hailing from the province.
BY OBEY MANAYITI
One employee said workers were now working from outside their offices as rival camps were baying for each other’s blood.
“We are temporarily closed. There are issues happening there and we will re-open as soon as those things are settled,” she said.
Some provincial youth executive members told NewsDay that since the aborted provincial coordinating committee meeting on Saturday, the situation had been tense in Manicaland.
The youths were allegedly divided along factional lines with some allegedly loyal to politburo member and Environment minister Oppah Muchinguri while others supported Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Mandi Chimene and acting chairman Samuel Undenge.
The youths accused each other of trying to destabilise the ruling party by pursuing personal agendas.
“There are youth members who are revolting and destabilise the party. These are the same youths milling around the offices threatening party employees,” said a provincial executive member.
“They were against the decision by Undenge to cancel Saturday’s meeting yet it was apparent to all right minded comrades that unruly elements were going to cause chaos during the meeting and hijack it to fire Undenge and all who are said to be loyal to him.”
The situation in Manicaland deteriorated following the leaking of an audio disc in which Muchinguri was heard discussing with suspended provincial youth chair Kelvin Manyengavana, executive member Getrude Mutandi and others on how to allegedly plot the downfall of others.
However, Manicaland provincial secretary for administration Kenneth Saruchera tried to downplay the temporary closure yesterday saying they deployed their staff outside of Mutare. “I will not say we have closed but it’s just that our employees are working from outside. We deployed them to other assignments in districts outside Mutare,” he said.
When quizzed to explain allegations that hostile party youths forced the closure, Saruchera said, “Problems and challenges will always be there but we cannot close office because of those challenges.”
National youth league leaders headed by secretary for youths Pupurai Togarepi, his deputy Kudzi Chipanga and others descended on Mutare yesterday to try and douse factional flames which have seen several suspensions and counter-suspensions.
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