Mafios retracts resolution to strip Mugabe of his status

Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central acting provincial chairman Dickson Mafios yesterday backtracked on his attempt to pass a controversial resolution that sought to strip President Mugabe of his status as the one centre of power in the party with the mandate to appoint his two deputies.

Under pressure from provincial and district executive members for smuggling in the controversial resolution, Zanu-PF national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere and his brother Mafios, called for an extraordinary provincial coordinating committee meeting and claimed the resolution was for the 2019 congress.

This is despite the fact that the meeting at which the 'Mafioso resolution'' was read had been called to discuss resolutions for the forthcoming 16th National Annual People's Conferenceto be held in Masvingo next month.

Information gathered by The Herald indicates that Cdes Kasukuwere and Mafios organised teams that spent the better part of Saturday night dishing out money, $200 apiece to some district officials not to protest again them at yesterday's meeting.

Mafios has called for another meeting on Tuesday, which is reportedly meant to suspend officials who exposed them to the media amid reports many of those targeted intend to resign in protest.

Asked about the outcome of yesterday's crisis meeting, Mafios - who was facing a vote of no confidence - said: "I am no longer obliged to talk to you (The Herald), talk to Kasukuwere."

Kasukuwere's mobile phone went unanswered.

Sources who attended the meeting said it was so tense that Kasukuwere had to call for a separate meeting with Central Committee members who were breathing fire over the "Mafioso resolution".

"First to speak was Mafios who said the resolution was not for now but for 2019 and any normal person will see the attempt to cover up because the provincial inter-district conference we held two weeks ago was for us to come up with resolutions for the forthcoming Masvingo conference next month not the 2019 congress," the source said.

"He said because he was under attack and facing a vote of no confidence, it was proper for Kasukuwere to speak. Kasukuwere's first move was to drive away the ZBCTv news crew that was present before saying the resolution on appointments was not yet approved by the province, but only found itself into the media. He failed to convince anyone and people continued breathing fire and he had to call for a separate meeting with Central Committee members who told him openly that they were aware of their tricks."

Sources said after meeting the Central Committee members, Kasukuwere came back "a changed man" as he continued his meeting with provincial executive members. "Anga akutaura achivhara-vhara," said another source.

"Instead of zeroing in on the controversial resolution, Kasukuwere made each district to stand up and generally asked whether or not they had written resolutions. This prompted Central Committee member Martin Mavhangira to stand up and ask him to concentrate on the hot cake rather than asking general questions and he started being mean to Mavhangira. From there he skirted the issue and diverted to the issue of illegal gold panners."

Sources said Kasukuwere only called the ZBCTv crew when he wanted to attack The Herald's reportage on the controversial resolution. Provincial and district members who granted interviews to the media exposing the shenanigans, reportedly received a backlash from Kasukuwere.

A Central Committee member who preferred anonymity said: "The party leadership has to be alert to these brothers' manoeuvres. It is clear they were testing the waters only to face resistance from the people. As a province we had dumped (Cde) Mafios before he was taken from the bin by (Cde) Kasukuwere. Vanhu ava vanoita kunge vane rudo kuna President, muromo wavo unoratidza rudo naPresident asi zviito zvavo hazvina rudo, varikuparadza President."

Before the somersault, Mafios last week said the one centre of power principle was not "benefiting" anyone. The concept was introduced by amending the Zanu-PF constitution in 2014 as a way of stemming factionalism that had reared its ugly ahead of a congress held that year.

They purported the resolution only popped up when final resolutions were being read out, a clear indication that it was smuggled in by senior members. Only on Friday, Mafios told The Herald: "Isu takatotaura, and that's our position. It will not change."

All other Zanu-PF provinces have reaffirmed their support for President Mugabe as the one centre of power ahead of the 16th National People's Conference to be held in Masvingo next month.

The conference will run from December 13 to 17.