Mnangagwa aligned Zanu-PF chairpersons snub Kasukuwere

THE majority of Zanu-PF provincial chairpersons yesterday snubbed a meeting called by the ruling party's under fire political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere at the party headquarters in Harare.

The meeting was held despite concerns by some chairpersons that Kasukuwere should not be addressing such meetings until he is cleared on charges that have seen votes of no confidence being passed against him by the party's structures countrywide.

He is accused of creating parallel structures to remove President Mugabe from power, corruption and fanning factionalism.

According to sources, yesterday's meeting was attended by four provincial chairpersons and these were Dickson Mafios of Mashonaland Central, Harare's Charles Tawengwa, Bulawayo provincial chairperson Dennis Ndlovu and Mashonaland East's chairman Bernard Makokove.

Masvingo's suspended political commissar Jappy Jaboon, viewed in the province as a side-kick of Kasukuwere, was said to have been in the meeting.

The party's provincial chairpersons who snubbed the meeting were Masvingo's Ezra Chadzamira, Ephraim Chengeta (Mashonaland West), Daniel Mackenzie Ncube (Midlands), Matabeleland South's Rabelani Choeni, Matabeleland North's Richard Moyo and Samuel Undenge (Manicaland).

One of the chairpersons that attended the meeting yesterday said their actions should not be misconstrued as support for the embattled Kasukuwere.

"We attended the meeting because we realised that party programmes should continue," said the chairperson who did not want his name to be used. "It should, however, not be viewed as support for Kasukuwere."

Makokove confirmed attending the meeting.

"Yes, the meeting was held, but I can't discuss with you what we discussed," he said.

Chengeta promised to comment late yesterday, but was no longer reachable in the evening, while Cdes Moyo, Undenge, Ncube and Choeni were not reachable last night.

Tawengwa and Mafios could not be reached for comment as their cellphones went unanswered.

Contacted for comment, Kasukuwere said he was happy with the attendance at the meeting.

"We were discussing the restructuring of the party from the cells, the branches, because soon there will be a roll out of the voter registration programme and we have to be ready," he said.

"We are happy with the turnout that we had in today's meeting."

Kasukuwere accused our sister paper The Herald of working against him as the political commissar of the ruling party.

"Why are you working to destroy the party?" he said. "You should not be involved in our issues, but leave us as politicians to settle them on our own."

President Mugabe appointed a team led by Speaker of the National Assembly and Politburo member Jacob Mudenda to investigate events leading to Kasukuwere receiving votes of no confidence from all the party's 10 provinces.

The team went to Mashonaland Central, Kasukuwere's home province which kick-started the process of passing the votes of no confidence.

The team was expected to submit its report to President Mugabe for further discussion by the Politburo and possible forwarding to the party's discplinary committee.

Party supporters in Mashonaland Central held demonstrations against Kasukuwere, but the President intervened to stop other provinces from following the same course, saying members should follow laid down channels to air grievances to the party.