News / National
Chombo slams leaders fanning factionalism
24 Jul 2017 at 02:13hrs | Views
ZANU-PF Secretary for Administration Ignatius Chombo has slammed leaders who fan factionalism within the ruling party.
He also challenged the ruling party's Bulawayo provincial leadership to unite and come up with an effective strategy that will ensure victory for the party in the 2018 harmomised elections.
Chombo, who was addressing Zanu-PF supporters at the party's Bulawayo provincial headquarters, Davies Hall, yesterday denounced acts of violence.
In May this year there were violent skirmishes at Davies Hall when rival groups fiercely clashed during a Provincial Co-ordinating Committee (PCC) meeting.
Chombo ordered police to arrest party members who clandestinely hold unsanctioned meetings at Davies Hall.
"The President while he was in Lupane on Friday last week denounced acts of violence. We have a case here when violence was witnessed at Davies Hall during a PCC meeting. No one should hold unsanctioned meetings at Davies Hall. If you want to hold a meeting you should first seek permission from the provincial chairman. I have since ordered police to arrest those who hold unsanctioned meetings," he said.
Chombo urged the Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial leadership to unite ahead of the 2018 elections.
"I urge you to sit down as Zanu-PF provincial leadership under the guidance of members of the Politburo, Central Committee and the National Consultative Assembly and come up with a strategy that will ensure an election victory for our party," he said.
"We want to reclaim all council wards from MDC-T because we cannot have a situation where as ratepayers you contribute to the development of the city yet there is no meaningful service delivery from the MDC-T led council. If we win all council wards, it means we will also win all parliamentary seats."
Chombo implored party cadres to desist from vote buying and factionalism. "Let us all desist from vote buying and there is a tendency by some members who when the elections period comes they undermine the incumbent and start passing votes of no confidence simply because they will be eyeing his or her seat. Such tendencies breed factionalism. Let's desist from factionalism and rally behind our President and First Secretary of the party RG Mugabe," he said.
"Come 2018 harmonised elections we want a Zanu-PF councillor, a Zanu-PF MP, Senator, a Zanu-PF Minister of State and of course a Zanu-PF President.
President Mugabe is the only centre of power and we are going to the People's Conference to endorse him as our Presidential candidate in the 2018 elections."
Chombo expressed shock over suspension after suspension within the Zanu-PF Bulawayo leadership structures.
He urged Joshua Malinga in his capacity as a Politburo member to address the problems bedevilling the ruling party in Bulawayo.
"We have members of Zanu-Pf Bulawayo women's league who were suspended but their offences were not clearly spelt out. According to the party constitution it's a requirement that every province should meet as an inter district conference at least twice a year to look into such issues affecting the party," he said.
Among those suspended are the Zanu-PF provincial Women's League chair Eve Bitu for allegedly defying party orders and holding unsanctioned meetings.
The leadership pardoned Cdes Molly Mpofu, Oppah Ncube and Elphas Tshuma and would review suspensions of 14 others.
The party also lifted suspensions on senior party members, including former Matabeleland South Governor Angeline Masuku. Masuku was barred from party activities for allegedly backing sacked Vice-President Joice Mujuru's bid to topple President Mugabe.
Chombo urged the leadership in Bulawayo to strengthen party structures at grassroots level.
"Our cells and branches are very weak and we need to intensify our door-to-door campaign to strengthen our structures. Let's unite as Bulawayo province so that our campaign preparations for 2018 elections go on smoothly," he said,
Chombo said Bulawayo province has a history of getting at least two MPs or zero MPs during elections.
"We cannot be scared of Tsvangirai, Mujuru and Mutasa. They are completely out of tune. So let's use 2018 harmonised elections to relegate all these fake political parties to the backwaters of Zimbabwean politics. If the chairman is failing in his work don't gossip about him, but you should confront him and identify his shortcomings. If you want to pass a vote of no confidence on him, you don't ambush him, but you should call for a meeting at least two weeks in advance. You should also give him a chance to respond to those allegations," he said.
He also challenged the ruling party's Bulawayo provincial leadership to unite and come up with an effective strategy that will ensure victory for the party in the 2018 harmomised elections.
Chombo, who was addressing Zanu-PF supporters at the party's Bulawayo provincial headquarters, Davies Hall, yesterday denounced acts of violence.
In May this year there were violent skirmishes at Davies Hall when rival groups fiercely clashed during a Provincial Co-ordinating Committee (PCC) meeting.
Chombo ordered police to arrest party members who clandestinely hold unsanctioned meetings at Davies Hall.
"The President while he was in Lupane on Friday last week denounced acts of violence. We have a case here when violence was witnessed at Davies Hall during a PCC meeting. No one should hold unsanctioned meetings at Davies Hall. If you want to hold a meeting you should first seek permission from the provincial chairman. I have since ordered police to arrest those who hold unsanctioned meetings," he said.
Chombo urged the Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial leadership to unite ahead of the 2018 elections.
"I urge you to sit down as Zanu-PF provincial leadership under the guidance of members of the Politburo, Central Committee and the National Consultative Assembly and come up with a strategy that will ensure an election victory for our party," he said.
"We want to reclaim all council wards from MDC-T because we cannot have a situation where as ratepayers you contribute to the development of the city yet there is no meaningful service delivery from the MDC-T led council. If we win all council wards, it means we will also win all parliamentary seats."
Chombo implored party cadres to desist from vote buying and factionalism. "Let us all desist from vote buying and there is a tendency by some members who when the elections period comes they undermine the incumbent and start passing votes of no confidence simply because they will be eyeing his or her seat. Such tendencies breed factionalism. Let's desist from factionalism and rally behind our President and First Secretary of the party RG Mugabe," he said.
"Come 2018 harmonised elections we want a Zanu-PF councillor, a Zanu-PF MP, Senator, a Zanu-PF Minister of State and of course a Zanu-PF President.
President Mugabe is the only centre of power and we are going to the People's Conference to endorse him as our Presidential candidate in the 2018 elections."
Chombo expressed shock over suspension after suspension within the Zanu-PF Bulawayo leadership structures.
He urged Joshua Malinga in his capacity as a Politburo member to address the problems bedevilling the ruling party in Bulawayo.
"We have members of Zanu-Pf Bulawayo women's league who were suspended but their offences were not clearly spelt out. According to the party constitution it's a requirement that every province should meet as an inter district conference at least twice a year to look into such issues affecting the party," he said.
Among those suspended are the Zanu-PF provincial Women's League chair Eve Bitu for allegedly defying party orders and holding unsanctioned meetings.
The leadership pardoned Cdes Molly Mpofu, Oppah Ncube and Elphas Tshuma and would review suspensions of 14 others.
The party also lifted suspensions on senior party members, including former Matabeleland South Governor Angeline Masuku. Masuku was barred from party activities for allegedly backing sacked Vice-President Joice Mujuru's bid to topple President Mugabe.
Chombo urged the leadership in Bulawayo to strengthen party structures at grassroots level.
"Our cells and branches are very weak and we need to intensify our door-to-door campaign to strengthen our structures. Let's unite as Bulawayo province so that our campaign preparations for 2018 elections go on smoothly," he said,
Chombo said Bulawayo province has a history of getting at least two MPs or zero MPs during elections.
"We cannot be scared of Tsvangirai, Mujuru and Mutasa. They are completely out of tune. So let's use 2018 harmonised elections to relegate all these fake political parties to the backwaters of Zimbabwean politics. If the chairman is failing in his work don't gossip about him, but you should confront him and identify his shortcomings. If you want to pass a vote of no confidence on him, you don't ambush him, but you should call for a meeting at least two weeks in advance. You should also give him a chance to respond to those allegations," he said.
Source - chronicle
