Zanu-PF starts process to oust Mliswa's sister

ZANU-PF Mashonaland West provincial coordinating committee has commenced a process that will lead to the suspension of provincial minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka from her position in the party, the Daily News reported.

This was after the Zanu-PF national leadership directed the regional structure to follow proper procedures as opposed to passing a vote of no confidence. A vote of no confidence had been passed against Mliswa-Chikoka by the province last month over allegations of corruption and abuse of office and creating parallel structures in her Hurungwe West constituency, among a litany of other charges.

But provincial chairperson Ziyambi Ziyambi told the Daily News yesterday that the ruling party's national disciplinary committee had directed that the executive desists from using votes of no confidence to discipline errant officials. "What will now happen is that those with complaints against her will bring them forward and I will ask the provincial secretary for administration, if we are satisfied that there is a prima facie case, to then start the process of generating a prohibition order against her pending the disciplinary hearing," Ziyambi said.

"It was realised that the method of votes of no confidence does not accord an accused the right to also defend him/her-self which is undemocratic." Sources who attended the Zanu-PF PCC at the weekend said calls for Mliswa-Chikoka's ouster grew louder amid calls for the prohibition order to be issued this week.

"She is also accused of creating parallel structures in Hurungwe East bringing on board opposition elements including those that used to work with his brother (Temba) so we all agreed that by Friday this week we should be done with the process that we were asked to follow," said a provincial executive member who did not want to be named.

Regional sources said Mliswa-Chikoka was being targeted for her allegiance to a faction aligned to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga. Contacted for comment, she laughed off the allegations saying she was being framed by her political rivals who are looking to tarnish her image.

"They have realised that I am not corrupt so they are trying to make up stories. They must be able to differentiate between party and government business. "Regarding my commitment to the party, my chairperson (Ziyambi Ziyambi) knows who I am and he is the one I follow," Mliswa-Chikoka said inadvertently betraying the factional fights in the politically volatile province.

The Daily News can report that a number of Zanu-PF officials now face an uncertain future over unproven charges that border on corruption and disloyalty to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
This is reminiscent of the Generation 40 (G40) versus Team Lacoste factional fights where the former was rallying behind former President Robert Mugabe's continued stay in power while the latter itched for his replacement by Mnangagwa, then his deputy.

More than a year after G40 was decimated; Zanu-PF officials are at each other's throats again. Officials in various provinces accuse and counter-accuse each other of not doing enough to support Mnangagwa who has been under pressure from opposition forces ever since he controversially won the presidential election against MDC's Nelson Chamisa in July last year.

The pressure has led to panic as senior officials blame each other for working with both internal and external foes to sabotage Mnangagwa's efforts at reviving the economy.

The Zanu-PF youth league opened the floodgates to votes of no confidence last week after they passed one against their leader Pupurai Togarepi and other national executive members including his deputy Lewis Matutu and secretary of administration Tendai Chirau.

The officials stand accused of stealing from the party, incompetence and treachery as well as not being up to the task of publicly defending Mnangagwa, who is under intense internal and international pressure over his government's heavy-handed handling of fuel protests last month.