'Kasukuwere sabotage Zanu-PF Women's League protest'

Zanu-PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere and his sidekick Harare provincial commissar Shadreck Mashayamombe have been accused of attempting to sabotage last Wednesday's protests by members of the Women's League.

Members of the Women's League held demonstrations across the country's 10 provinces demanding the ouster of the organ's national deputy chairperson Eunice Sandi Moyo and treasurer Sarah Mahoka.

The two national executive members are accused of undermining the authority of First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe, denigrating Presidential appointments, corruption and creating parallel structures in the Women's League.

However, information gathered by The Herald, which was corroborated by various Women's League leaders, showed that the pair spent the better part of Tuesday night making frantic efforts to block the protests.

Kasukuwere and Mashayamombe were reportedly working with other bigwigs in various provinces.

The two, who are aligned to Sandi-Moyo and Mahoka, are alleged to have "tried all they could", but failed to stop the demos. The protests succeeded with the women demanding that bigwigs who sought to block them be fired or demoted.

Asked to comment, Kasukuwere was evasive.

"Are you crazy? Why would I block any protests?," he asked before hanging up.

In his response, Mashayamombe said: "Maudzwa nani? Musadaro vakomana. Tinozviziva kuti munotivenga vanhu vekuHerald. Itai henyu, Mwari ndiye anoziva. Zvakaoma because we were actually being attacked for supporting the First Lady. This issue is for women and we are not involved."

The pair claimed to have made contributions in the organisation of the protests, a claim dismissed by event organisers.

"We are aware of what they have tried to do, especially in Mashonaland Central, where (Cde) Kasukuwere hails from," said one of the organisers.

"On the surface they appear to be on the First Lady's corner but behind her back, they undermine her. Soon or later, their exploits will be exposed. This is an agreement among women and no one can block it. They might have the financial muscle, but the juggernaut will not stop until all the bad apples are dealt with."

The organiser said the turnout was low in Mashonaland Central, with acting provincial chairperson Dickson Mafios intimidating the women.

"We gathered that most women had to go back after being threatened," said the insider. "They employed dirty tactics as usual trying to influence lower structures but we wait to see how they are going to block the mega demos being planned."

Mafios responded: "It's a lie, I supported this thing. People are just there to tarnish our image."

During the Wednesday protests in Harare, women accused Mashayamombe and Kasukuwere of influencing the lower structures.

The crowd kept on shouting that the two should also be fired or demoted as they were among Mahoka and Sandi-Moyo's handlers.

One of the placard the demonstrators held was written: "Sandi and Mahoka handlers bhasopo!"

Apart from undermining the authority of the First Lady, the two stand accused of embezzling money, which they sourced from prophets, business people and corporates using Dr Mugabe's name and without her knowledge.

Among Mahoka and Sandi-Moyo's loot is $20 000 they received from Higher and Tertiary Education Minister, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo.

Mahoka is also under fire for likening Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa to a duck for his silence on the Zanu-PF succession matrix.

She also denigrated Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba, an act protestors said was "a high degree of insubordination."

Sandi-Moyo and Mahoka are alleged to be demoting national Women's League leaders and replacing them with members of their choice without following party procedures and approval from the First Lady.

Sandi-Moyo is also said to have refused to listen to the authority of the First Lady when she was asked to excuse herself from a meeting recently as requested by chairwomen from all provinces.