Mashonaland Central disowns 'challenge to Mugabe'

ZANU-PF Mashonaland Central provincial and district members have distanced themselves from a resolution read out by acting provincial chairperson Dickson Mafios challenging President Mugabe's status as the one centre of power in the revolutionary party with the mandate to appoint his deputies.

The resolution, they said, was apparently "a family affair'' and the brain child of Mafios, who is brother to national political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere.

Kasukuwere is reported to be a key figure in the so-called G40 faction along with Professor Jonathan Moyo, who hails from Matabeleland North but has been at the forefront of defending what has been dubbed "the Mafioso resolution'' on social media.

Several district and provincial executive members yesterday held meetings and distanced themselves from the controversial resolution.

The party members said they had "hunted" for Mafios but the acting chairperson avoided them and reportedly told them over the phone that: "I will stand for (the resolution) myself."

Members from the main wing, Youths and Women's Leagues said no single district passed a resolution seeking to strip President Mugabe of his powers when it comes to appointing his deputies.

They said the purported resolution only popped up when the final resolutions were being read out, a clear indication that it was smuggled in by senior members.

The members said Central Committee member Martin Mavhangira was in fact rebuked when he tried to inquire about the resolution during the provincial inter-district meeting held in Bindura last weekend.

Mafios — who himself was not elected —yesterday told our Harare Bureau that there was no going back on the resolution that President Mugabe should not appoint his deputies but have them elected by party members.

"That doesn't matter," he said! "We stand by what we said, and that's our position. It will not change."

Zanu-PF amended its Constitution at the 2014 congress and gave President Mugabe sweeping powers to appoint his deputies and Politburo members.

The one centre of power principle was a way of stemming factionalism which sought to manifest in alternative centres of power, which had afflicted the revolutionary party ahead of the congress. Mashonaland Central secretary for education in the Women's League Shantel Mbereko said Mafios should be taken to task over the "treasonous" resolution.

She said they had to convene a meeting yesterday as they were under fire from party members who wanted to know where the resolution emanated from. "We didn't agree on that, and we tried calling him and he is avoiding us. "He said he will stand by the resolution on his own. He said it was his baby. It is clear that this is a family thing," Mbereko said.

Mafios was imposed as acting chairperson last year when Luke Mushore was booted out in the run-up to the 2014 December congress.

Mbereko added: "As we speak, party members are firing questions at us leaders from all angles as they want answers to that. Our resolutions as women didn't have that nonsense but it came from the main wing members. Our Central Committee member Mavhangira immediately stood up and asked where that resolution had come from, but he was told to sit down by the chairperson (Mafios). It is that greedy family alliance which has seen women being elbowed out of the mining activities taking place at Kitsiyatota".

Mavhangira said: "We are working on something and after that, we will come to you with all the information."

Mafios is on record as saying the one centre of power principle should be abolished as it was not benefiting anyone.

Tinashe Matangira, provincial youth secretary for lands said the youths had not passed such a resolution.

"We sat as provincial members in Bindura and we denounce the announcement made that Vice Presidents should be elected and the one centre of power concept should cease to exist," he said.

"That is a move meant to strip the President of his powers. We exonerate ourselves from such a resolution. We phoned Mafios and he said the resolution is from the youths, but we the youths are saying there is nothing like that. The owners of the resolutions in various districts are surprised and breathing fire."

Pozaiti Sireu, deputy secretary for business liaison added: "We don't even know where it came from and we are all surprised. We disown that resolution."

Another district chairperson from Bindura John Risinamhodzi said: "It's an individual decision which did not come from the people. The province never made a decision. There are a few individuals pushing their agendas. We are for the one of centre of power, and that centre of power will choose its lieutenants. If allowed to pass through, those people will end up saying let's vote for Politburo members."

The Zanu-PF Women's League and Zanu-PF affiliates like Zeppedra, Ziliwaco and ZNLWVA have since trashed "the Mafioso resolution'' as an attempt to undermine the President and First Secretary, Mugabe.

All other Zanu-PF provinces have reaffirmed their support for President Mugabe as the one centre of power.